NEW YORK Eyewitness News anchor Lori Stokes presents our "A New York Holiday: 2011" half-hour specialf or a look at some of the new and old traditions that make New York shine so brightly during the holidays.
You can watch the show on in its entirety in the video player above!
To get things started, we'll take a look at the iconic department store window displays, which have become a holiday tradition for New Yorkers and tourists alike. We'll then go on a field trip to American Christmas, a local company headquartered in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., that designs and builds many of the elaborate decorations for the city's buildings and public spaces. And speaking of decorations, we'll check out the many must-see displays that are decked out for the holiday like Rockefeller Center, the Neapolitan Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show in the Bronx.
We'll also hear about some hot new toys for grown-ups from Hammacher Schlemmer and learn how to make the quintessential hot chocolate from "Mr. Chocolate" himself, Jacques Torres. For the little ones, we'll run down some of the best shows in town, from the classics including American Ballet Theater's "The Nutcracker" and the Metropolitan Opera's "Hansel and Gretel" to Macy's Puppet Theater, The Big Apple Circus and Cirque Shanghai's "Bai Xi."
In addition, we'll visit the popular Christmas markets that have sprung up all over Manhattan, where you can find unique, handmade gifts from all over the world, and head uptown to meet the "Rugelach King of Harlem," who makes this tasty pastry fit for any Christmas or Hanukkah table.
