This is a very special holiday lantern/lights visual festival, inside the wonderful 90 acre, 180 year old, Snug Harbor & Botanical Gardens on Staten Island. This holiday festival is Disneyland and Times Sq. lighting fabulous rolled into one!

We'll bike the short distance from the new NYC ferry pier in Staten Island (which is just west of and adjacent to the familiar orange boats of NYC's Staten Island ferry), and around Snug Harbor grounds to enjoy the historic and multi-cultural site. Bikes will get locked at Parking Lot H bike rack near the entrance, then Hii Ho (and Ho, HO) off we gp to our 5PM timed entry to the Lantern Fest. Do check out images online from prior year's events; this is great for all ages, and for the kid inside us as adults.

Afterward we can bike around the St. George 'hood a bit, OR on the same new NYC Ferry route (to either Battery Park along the Hudson, or the Midtown terminal at W37th St) OR use the free Staten Island ferry to Whitehall/Battery Park. You can also opt in to join a not overly long stop the leaders are planning in Staten Island/St George area, to grab a light bite or quaff a holiday bev at a local and convenient casual spot.

Do dress in serious layers for the weather, as it chills down fast near the water plus when the sun sets. And even if there's some "weather" our ride will still roll (those ga-zillions of LED lights still display their wonderful and creative images, plus it's only 2 miles from the ferry, so how wet could we get; anyway, we won't melt!). Feel free to decorate your bike and yourself with holiday bling; it adds to the merriment.

Must have good/legal bike lights, and have or bring shoes suitable for walking around the grounds at Snug Harbor festival (varied footing/surfaces). Leave behind your bestest bike; the leaders are using a hybrid and a mtn bike that they each feel comfy locking up securely.

OPEN:  To registered club members. If you have family/friends who are non--cylists, they can join us on site at the entrance to Holiday Lanterns inside Snug Harbor; just make sure they buy Snug Harbor tix in advance.  Non-cycling folks can walk, taxi, or use the S40 bus ($2.75 MetroCard fare, or that amount in coins only) the 1.9 miles from the Staten Island ferry to the main entrance for Snug Harbor.

BUY IN ADVANCE:  Entrance to Snug Harbor grounds is free, but tickets are required for this special, seasonal event. Don't wait till the last minute as our time slot may get filled up.  It's  $24.99/adult in advance (less per child; higher if buying on site at the entry gate if tix and entry times are even still available, plus fees go UP for the following holiday week). So each person should purchase their own admission ticket to the Lantern Festival, PLUS get a $3.75 NYC ferry ticket for the Pier 79 to the new St. George route that has just opened up.

Online tix purchase site is  https://www.nycwinterlanternfestival.com/   If that's the first time visiting the site, you may be able to get a one time 15% discount code towards ticket purchases.

BRING:  Proof of vaccination, and plan to fully use face masks when social distancing not possible, and on board the ferries.  Sturdy lock for bikes (park Ranger has directed us to the bike racks in parking lot H, nearby the Snug Harbor Rd car & pedestrian entrance). Be sure to carry bike flat fix tools/pump, hydration, and pocket food if desired for snacking along the way.

MEET:  3:10PM for the 3:29PM NYC Ferry to St. George, inside the Pier 79 NY Waterway ferry building (wheel your bike right in; nice restrooms inside the building, as well),  at approx. W37th St & 12th Ave/Hudson River.  Leave enough time to buy your printed ferry tix before boarding (or download the app to purchase on your phone) and to get on line  (if there even is one) for our 3:29PM departure. We cannot hold the boat for ya, as much as we might like, so it behooves everyone to leave extra time and arrive early. 

ALTERNATIVE MEET:  Our NYC ferrry route makes only 1 stop (the ferry's Battery Park location on the Hudson) so let us know if you will hop on at there instead of Pier 79.

RETURN:  Option to use the free Staten Island orange boat ferry back to Battery Park (which at lease 1 leader will be doing), or take the reverse new ferry route for $3.75 back to NYC ferry/Pier 79 on Manhattan's West side.