Throughout the month of January, Facebook has recommended me countless events to check out. Recently, I came across an intriguing event which caught my eye called ‘The Ice Castle.’ But it wasn’t until I discovered more info, that I realized I had come across so much more.

For the third year in a row, Bryant Park is currently hosting their Winter Carnival at the Bank of America Winter Village. Expanding from one weekend to a full nine days, there are plenty of events to check out with your friends, family, and significant others. The Winter Carnival features fun activities and plenty of their winter favorites such as the Silent Disco, Ice Ball, Outdoor Winter Brew House, Ice Castle, Free Curling Lessons, Free Skating Lessons, Virtual Snowball Throw Competition, Games and Giveaways, and a super cozy Warming Lodge.

I was fortunate to finally attend the Winter Carnival this year, specifically on the special opening night on Friday. The Ice Castle was open to viewers from noon, with the entirety of the Winter Carnival closing at 10 p.m. Along with my boyfriend, we first took pictures of Bryant Park’s urban interpretation of an ‘ice’ castle, lit up in bright glowing colors which would alternate throughout the night. Once the sun sets and the city begins to shimmer in the dark, the Ice Castle glows even more dramatically. Taking a tour of the Winter Carnival, we noticed the Outdoor Winter Brew House on the left, which provides a variety of brewed beers and mulled wines, along with their ‘classic beer garden fare’ like sausages and bratwursts. Later in the upcoming days, they will also be holding Brew House Trivia, Brew House Bingo, karaoke and live music. If you want to come for more than just ice skating, I definitely recommend stopping by.

At the Carnival, there are of course several food vendors as well serving a selection of comfort foods, hot and cold drinks, and delicious treats such as apple cider doughnuts which we missed out on. Do not come to this Carnival on a full stomach like we did. You’ll regret it. There are also a few booths selling apparel, jewelry, posters, magnets, and more.

After our quick tour, we waited patiently with hundreds of people surrounding the Bryant Park Rink for the Opening Night Skating Showcase. With jingling red cowbells in hand, everyone cheered and applauded when the one and only Johnny Weir, Olympic Champion and Winter Village Skating Ambassador, arrived and made a welcoming speech. My excitement for Johnny Weir could not be contained to say the least. He skated gracefully as he spoke, looking as fabulous as ever, with his fur coat and custom-made leather ice skates. I tried to catch as many photos as I could. Following his speech, there was a beautiful performance by reigning World Champion pairs skaters, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who skated to the iconic Billy Joel’s major hit “Piano Man.” Afterward, world-ranked synchronized skating team The Skyliners performed and I honestly didn’t know synchronized skating teams existed. I was quite impressed with their performance nonetheless. Athletes from Special Olympics New York performed afterward with ambitious choices of music, from the “Harry Potter” theme to a medley of songs from “Aladdin.”

But of course, the main event was a performance from the sassy Johnny Weir himself. I cheered and was filled with so much glee and excitement as I watched him skate to none other than a medley of songs by Beyoncé. Only Johnny Weir can be his glamorous, fabulous, fierce, flawless self, and get away with skating to Beyoncé. Starting with “Haunted,” I nearly lost it when “Diva” began playing mid-performance. Johnny Weir was dancing like his unapologetic self as expected. Then it shifted to “Crazy In Love,” the version from the “Fifty Shades of Grey” Soundtrack, to the more upbeat original version of “Crazy In Love.” The crowd cheering, screaming, applauding, and jingling those cowbells was amazing. I am so beyond happy I got to be so close to Johnny Weir and witness his performance in person, but also to attend such a fun opening night for the Winter Carnival.

Make sure to stop by the Warming Lodge afterward! Stay cozy and comfortable while warming up, lounging on sofas and armchairs, listening to some nostalgic music, with free charging stations for your phones!

For more, check out the full Winter Carnival Schedule.

I plan on finally going ice skating at Bryant Park on their themed SK80s night, but I highly recommend checking out as many of the events that the Bryant Park Winter Carnival has to offer!