Shopping and Champagne: The Garden After Hours

Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 13 2011, by Matt Newman

Last week’s Shopping and Champagne was the kind of evening you always hope to enjoy in New York! I decided to head over to the Shop in the Garden a few minutes early to see how things were panning out for the organizers before the guests arrived. I passed a few families on the way, just come from the Conservatory, the kids bouncing around and the parents pushing strollers toward the gate; everyone seemed to be in an upbeat mood after seeing the Holiday Train Show.

The chill in the air made for the kind of stillness that pairs so well with holiday lights, which you’ll find dotted all around our Visitor Center (you can’t possibly miss the sparkling conifer display). Then six o’clock rolled in and brought with it a new crowd.

Inside, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Ours has always been a few clicks above your average gift shop, but with strings of lights draped about and the ornaments twinkling on the trees, the ambiance was undeniable! The bar set up near the back was an instant hit as people streamed in (it seems champagne, strawberries, and chocolates really are that irresistible). And with drinks in hand and jazz standards playing low, everyone got to the business of buying gifts.

The “afterparty” was no less dazzling. If you’ve seen the Holiday Train Show after sundown, you know just how stunning our miniatures look in the soft glow of the light. Guests in work ties and pencil skirts relaxed in the kind of elegance normally reserved for dinner parties. No one was in a hurry. As I wandered, I passed amateur historians explaining the histories of certain buildings to their friends, waving their hands about for emphasis, and native New Yorkers still awed by the detail of our homage to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Cameras were in no short supply, either. Everyone had something out and clicking away, whether it was a smartphone, a point-and-shoot, or a professional photography rig. I happened to be following a couple who’d taken the trains up from Long Island to see the show, moving methodically along the rows of tiny buildings and snapping careful shots through a lens that must have been longer than my arm. (If you follow our Twitter feed, you may have noticed my attempts to capture the majesty of the show with my cell phone; sad but noble.) You could tell everyone was enjoying the show by how casually they strolled along.

I was glad to have been there; relaxation is almost a commodity these days.

This Thursday night (December 15) marks your last chance to join us for Shopping and Champagne before we move on to other events, so head over to our ticket page and reserve a spot while you still have the chance. Evenings like these are so few and far between that it’s a shame to throw away the opportunity!