The New York Festival of Light Transforms DUMBO

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter (and if you do I ♥ you), you know I was in Boston this weekend for my cousin’s wedding (congrats Chris!). This means I missed an awesome NYC event, the first ever New York Festival of Light. Fortunately my friend Sage (you remember Sage) went and was kind enough to write this post for New York Cliché!

The New York Festival of Light is a free arts festival in New York City. In this, its inaugural year, it ran from November 6th to the 8th. The event took place right under the Manhattan Bridge in area of Brooklyn know as DUMBO. DUMBO is a New York City cliché [one that carries no association to a certain Disney elephant]. It’s an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.

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This festival featured different types of light installations and works created by artists and lighting designers. The entire side of the Manhattan Bridge was their canvas; imagine how big these people had to think.

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There was a laser light show, projections, performance art, sculptures and even a “light” based graffiti wall.

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I found it all very thought provoking: These artists took huge structures, ones that we’re used to seeing daily, and by adding light they completely changed the way they’re experienced.

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I waited until the last night for festival to go. About two thousand other people had the same idea. The reason the area is such a cliché for tourists (you will find an insane amount of them here, many taking wedding photos. No lie.) is due to the breathtaking views of Lower Manhattan.

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It’s also a cliché for New Yorkers to get mad at these tourist for taking up all of the space. That’s right. All of it. As a result, the Festival of Light became so crowded that, for safety reasons, it was shut down.

Thankfully that was a half hour after I left.

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This was the first year the Festival of Light was produced in New York City. Should you check it out next year? Yes. Definitely. It was a lot of fun. Just try not to go on the last day of the Festival. Or a weekend. Remember that the words “free” in New York City, usually means a very large crowd. I guess that’s a cliché anywhere.

Sage is New York City actor, writer and director. He often makes vlogs about the adventures he goes on. Check out his trip to the Festival of Light, here:

More information on the festival: http://nyfol.org/

Thanks, Sage for the blog, the vlog, and letting us live vicariously through you and your New York Festival of Light experience!

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About New York Cliche

NYC lifestyle blog by Mary Lane. Events, adventures, epic mistakes, dating, life, humor. A 30-something trying to make it (and make out) in the city of dreams.

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