Santa Claus came to town, seemingly flying above the Metrotech Christmas tree, but in a fire department bucket truck to the delight of residents and children massed below Wednesday night.
Light Up MetroTech celebrated the start of the holiday season with an evening full of fun and holiday cheer on the MetroTech Commons presented by Brookfield Properties. Residents and office workers were treated to live ice carving by artists from the Okamoto Studio; music by Ushka; a lively drum performance by Batalá New York and finally the lighting of the 30 foot Christmas tree by Santa Claus who arrived in an FDNY Ladder 105 bucket truck, high above the tree. Most children were fascinated by the incredible ice sculptures by Okamoto Studio is a NYC-based artist collective best known to produce artful installations and performances out of crystal clear ice. They carved on site the bears, rabbits, an eagle, and other creatures to the delight of young children. Residents were also treated to hot chocolate and donuts.
, Thanushka (Thanu) Yakupitiyage is a Sri Lankan born, Thailand raised activist, cultural organizer, and DJ under the artist moniker “Ushka.” Batalá marched into the Commons, beating their drums intensely for the crowds. Batalá New York is a part of a global arts project made up of over 30 bands around the world. The music of Batalá originates in Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. The group’s instruments and costumes are all made in Salvador. The main musical genre they play is samba-reggae, a heavily percussion-based form that typically employs the five drums played in Batalá and are popular at many festivities in the city. Residents were also treated to hot chocolate and donuts, courtesy of Brookfield Properties who run Metrotech.
A holiday extravaganza was held at Metrotech last night for their Christmas tree lighting with Santa and a huge ice carving display courtesy of Brookfield Properties. (Photo by Todd Maisel)
