Westworld Alberta

window, a mannequin in a sequin-striped sailor suit poses in front of a wall of vintage model ships, surrounded by sailor dolls, a ship's steering wheel, a vintage diver's helmet and other marine paraphernalia. Ornately carved wood panelling frames the scene. This year's theme is "wish you were here." You can say that again. 3 Zipping around an outdoor ice rink Cue the Charlie Brown Christmas music: it's time to skate. Wanting to minimize my chances of accidentally fl attening a child, I skip the family-centric Rockefeller Center rink in favour of Central Park's 33,000-square- foot open-air Wollman Rink. The park's 341 claims to be a holiday cynic, but I think I might soften her with an Abyssinian Baptist Church choir performance, one of the Met's regular offerings. hectares of greenery give a tantalizing sense of openness, smack in the middle of Manhattan. With a few friends in tow (some- times literally), I slither around the icy oval. We spot our favourite skyscrapers – like the Sony Building with its curved pediment – beyond a shadowy fringe of trees. The following week, we discover a new and even more skater-friendly option: the Standard Hotel, which has a 3,000-square- foot outdoor rink in its entry plaza. The setup at this Meatpacking District hot spot is impressively cushy, with a kiosk selling brandy-spiked cider and hot chocolate just three staggering steps from the ice. 4 Catching the spirit at a Metropolitan Museum of Art concert My friend Sarah and I skip up the steps to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, just as the daytime guests are leaving. This immense museum, the largest in the western hemi- sphere, hosts annual after-hours holiday concerts in its medieval sculpture hall. Sarah 30 WESTWORLD >> NOVEMBER 2011 The singers take their places in front of a Christmas tree covered in Baroque Neapolitan angels, then launch into hymns and carols, such as "Elijah Rocks," punctuated by scrip- ture recitations. Swaying and clapping, the choir throws tremendous power into every verse, and the energy builds with each song. By the time they reach "Go Tell It on the Mountain," the whole audi- ence is standing and clapping along. Sarah turns to me with tears in her eyes. "Now that," she whispers, "is the spirit." 5 Carolling in Washington Square Park Carolling is one those Dickensian activities I've never even witnessed, much less joined in on. I've always imagined that in New York, house-to-house carollers might be pelted (this page clockwise from top) The New York City Ballet performs its traditional rendition of The Nutcracker; the Washington Square Christmas tree ablaze; an Abyssinian Baptist Church choir makes spirits bright at a Metropolitan Museum of Art concert; open- air skating on Wollman Rink in Central Park; (right) the Gifted holiday market in Brooklyn. with bagels. But a perfect opportunity arises: the annual lighting of the Washington Square Christmas tree. This ceremony is the oldest such ritual in the city, dating back to 1926. Washington Square itself is a freshly re-landscaped 19th-century West Village park, punctuated with a neoclassical white marble arch – an atmospheric spot for an old-fashioned carol. The arch frames the tree, as hundreds of locals gather to sing along with a brass band. As Santa arrives and leads a countdown, I belt out "Jingle Bells" alongside cheering families and giggling NYU students. The event has a neighbourly feel – a pleasant change from the Rockefeller Center extravaganza. 6 Nailing down a Nutcracker After looking at brochures for the city's three major Nut- cracker ballets, I do what any sugarplum-starved person would do: I snap up tickets for all of them. I start with the traditional George Balanchine's The Nutcracker at the New York (church choir) Jennifer Paull, (The Nutcracker) Kelly-Mooney/Corbis, (rink and square) Getty Images

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