The Tompkins Square Park holiday tree — now with the lights on

[Photo by Steven]

The 24th annual Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting ceremony is happening now until 5 p.m. ... and the lights just went on (thanks ConEd!). We'll post 458,223 more photos in the weeks ahead, or until the lights go dark in April.

We'll have photos of the festivities from EVG contributor Stacie Joy later on...

The 24th annual Tree Lighting at Tompkins Square Park is Sunday

[Photo by Steven]

In case you didn't see the posters that went up — and around — the Park yesterday afternoon... the 24th annual tree lighting ceremony is Sunday from 4-5 p.m. (And be sure to break out your favorite holiday shorts and tank tops for the event: Sunday's high will reach 66. Degrees.)

Anyway, the tree lighting will feature, as always:

Music from Mandel & Lydon Trio
Carolers of Olde New York from Theatre for the New City
Refreshments from Veselka Restaurant
Additional Support from East Village Books, Vazacs/7B (listed on the poster as Vazac Ave B Restaurant) and Apple Savings Bank

... and co-hosted by...
East Village Parks Conservancy
Third Street Music School Settlement
Tompkins Square Park Neighborhood Coalition

The tree was planted in 1992 in memory of Park advocate Glenn Barnett, "and each of our neighbors whom we have lost to AIDS," per the sign that hangs near the tree.

You can revisit last year's tree lighting here.

As a commenter noted last year, the lights and tree were "delightfully askew."

Developing/breaking: Lights going up on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

After waiting 75 minutes in line for lights at the Rite Aid on First Avenue, Crews were out this morning to start the annual tree decorating (aka putting up the lights in an often haphazard fashion)...


[Photo by John Greally]

Meantime, we haven't heard anything yet about the official tree lightning ceremony (this year will mark the 24th annual). Last year's event was on Sunday, Dec. 14. So maybe Dec. 13 this year? We'll find out!

Updated 10:43

Via Steven...





And later... via Bobby Williams...



-----

From the archives ...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

At the 23rd annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by for the ceremonies... featuring music from Mandel & Lydon Trio and carolers of Olde New York from Theatre for the New City ... Here are a few scenes from late this afternoon...

Reminders: The 23rd annual tree lighting at Tompkins Square Park is today

Workers made some final preparations yesterday (more lights!) ahead of today's 23rd annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park.



The details for the ceremony, which takes place between 4-5 p.m.:

Music from Mandel & Lydon Trio
Carolers of Olde New York from Theatre for the New City
Refreshments from Veselka Restaurant
Additional Support from East Village Books, Vazacs/7B, Saifee Hardware, Apple Savings Bank

HOSTED BY:
East Village Parks Conservancy
Third Street Music School Settlement
Tompkins Square Park Neighborhood Coalition

Photos via Bobby Williams

Testing, testing

EVG reader William Klayer spotted a preliminary tree lighting last night in Tompkins Square Park … ahead of tomorrow's tree-lightng ceremony between 4-5 p.m.

And maybe they need another strand of lights on the tree?

The 23rd annual tree lighting at Tompkins Square Park is Sunday

[Photo today by Derek Berg]

Workers were hanging the lights on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree this morning (didn't the Park keep the lights up year-round for awhile???) ... ahead of the 23rd annual tree lighting ceremony Sunday from 4-5 p.m.

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

Music from Mandel & Lydon Trio
Carolers of Olde New York from Theatre for the New City
Refreshments from Veselka Restaurant
Additional Support from East Village Books, Vazacs/7B, Saifee Hardware, Apple Savings Bank

HOSTED BY:
East Village Parks Conservancy
Third Street Music School Settlement
Tompkins Square Park Neighborhood Coalition

The tree was planted in 1992 in memory of Park advocate Glenn Barnett, "and each of our neighbors whom we have lost to AIDS," per the sign that hangs near the tree.

Silent night: Holiday tree lights are OFF now in Tompkins Square Park

Just a little more than two months removed from the 22nd annual Tree Lighting at Tompkins Square Park … and the lights have been officially extinguished for another year…

[Pausing to regain composure]

We noticed the lights were off last Wednesday or Thursday night… but thought that it may have just been a terrible, terrible mistake… someone forgot to plug the lights in or something … Not the case…



Perhaps now we can hope for a St. Patrick's Day miracle …

Winter wonderland, pretty much

Early this evening in Tompkins Square Park… photo by Bobby Williams

And now, the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

After this afternoon's tree lighting ceremony…

Photo by peter radley

Reminders: The 22nd annual Tree Lighting at Tompkins Square Park is today

From 4-5 … details are on the flyer below...


[Bobby Williams]

Previously

The 22nd annual Tree Lighting at Tompkins Square Park is Sunday

From 4-5 Sunday… details are on the flyer below...


[Bobby Williams]

The tree was planted in 1992 in memory of Park advocate Glenn Barnett, "and each of our neighbors whom we have lost to AIDS," per the sign that hangs near the tree...

And here are scenes from the ceremony in 2008 ... and in 2011...

At the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting

Some light rain. No big deal. Photos by Bobby Williams.

And here's a video via Janko Puls ... A version of "Rudolph" from The Carolers of Olde New York from Theater for the New City ...



GammaBlog has more photos and video here.

A bag of 'fuck you' under the Tompkins Square holiday tree

Ah, Santa has come early this year...

What did he/she leave for us?

Oh.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

July 4 — ruined

On Thursday morning, we noted that the lights on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree were still illuminated... and we said that we hoped they would stay on until July 4. (For no apparent reason.)

Uh, well, Thursday night — the lights were off. (Sorry — horrible picture.) And they remained off all weekend...

We took a closer look at the tree this weekend... and the lights are still attached ... so it's just a matter of plugging in the cord...

However, the NYPD has the tree under 24-hour watch to prevent this from happening.*

[* Not really. But we like to pretend...]

Happy Holidays from all of us here at EV Grieve!

TWO readers have now asked why we haven't mentioned that the holiday tree is still illuminated in Tompkins Square Park. Given that we discussed this in recent years, why have we been silent? ... Well, this is the latest that the lights have stayed on since we've been doing this site. (For instance, in 2009, someone turned off the lights on Feb. 6.)

Anyway, we didn't want to say anything in hopes that they stayed on until July 4. (Shhh... will be our secret.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
On St. Patrick's Day, a Christmas miracle in Tompkins Square Park

City workers remove holiday lights before Easter comes calling

Breaking: Holiday lights are off again in Tompkins Square Park

Oh no!

@angel_chao just passed along this photo...

And just hours after our post that the lights had returned... Too many holiday lights highs and lows for one night...

Joy to something! The holiday lights are back on in Tompkins Square Park

After three nights without the lights illuminated on the holiday tree... Earlier today, a park official told us they were having electrical problems... Can't wait to start complaining when the lights are still on in February!

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Previously.

Why the lights are out on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

Now... (Well, the other night... not now now)

Yesterday, we wondered why the lights weren't illuminated on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree.

So we asked Robert McLean, parks and recreation manager, Manhattan District Three, what was wrong. He said that Park officials were aware of the problem.

"The tree lights worked one night and were off the next morning. We tried to fix the electrical hook up yesterday, but we could not get the lights to stay on," he said via email. "We have contacted the electricians and they should come out right away."

And soon!

[Bobby Williams]

Silent night, dark knight: Where are the Tompkins Square Park holiday lights?

On Sunday, we attended the annual tree lighting in the Park ...

Flashback!

[Bobby Williams]

And as this dark, grainy photo shows... the lights are off... they were off Sunday night and last night...

Perhaps it is as simple as someone isn't plugging in the lights? Other theories (or facts!) are welcome...