The Lincoln Square Holiday Tree, which helped kick off this year's 11th Annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square festival, will be on display at Dante Park at Broadway and 64th Street through the New Year. This year's 27 foot Balsam Fir has been generously donated by McNulty Outdoors and installed by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Tree decorations have been created by Glitterlimes and Debbie Tuch with generous donations from Hammond's Candies and Soutine Bakery in partnership with the American Folk Art Museum.The tree is now lit daily until midnight.

This holiday season, take a stroll from Columbus Circle to 70th Street through Lincoln Square and be dazzled by the wonderful holiday lighting - installed by the Lincoln Square BID with generous support from Con Edison - running up and down the spine of the district in the Broadway Malls. While you're here, check off the last few items on your holiday shopping list by visiting all the fine shopping destinations Lincoln Square has to offer.

Stop by the Time Warner Center, a contemporary shopping destination offering over 40 premier retailers including: Aveda, Borders, Crabtree & Evelyn, Eileen Fisher, MXYPLYZYK, Williams-Sonoma and many more.

While strolling through the rest of Lincoln Square, be sure to visit Best Buy (Broadway & 62nd St) or the Apple Store, Upper West Side (Broadway & 67th St) for your tech-savvy friends and family. For those who are fashion forward, stop by Banana Republic (Broadway & 67th St), BCBG Max Azria (Broadway between 68th & 69th Sts), Brooks Brothers (Broadway & 65th St) or Burberry Brit (Columbus Ave between 67th & 68th Sts). For the hard to get person on your list, check out the American Folk Art Museum Lincoln Square Branch Shop (Columbus Ave between 65th & 66th Sts) and browse through its eclectic collection of jewelry, accessories, frames, toys and more or visit The Emporium Ltd. (64th St between Broadway & Central Park West), which is one of our hidden gems for rare "objets" including jewelry and antiques.

Need a finishing touch for your holiday decorations, or are you looking for the perfect gift for your holiday host? If so, browse through the fantastic home furnishings merchandise featured in Gracious Home (Broadway & 67th St), Bed Bath & Beyond (Broadway between 64th & 65th Sts), Pottery Barn (Broadway & 67th St) and West Elm (Broadway between 61st & 62nd Sts).

Whatever your shopping needs are Lincoln Square has extensive retail offerings, multiple furniture and home goods stores, children's clothing boutiques and several gift shops from Lincoln Square's notable cultural organizations. Also available are accessories, antiques, makeup, luggage and books offered by our wide mix of national, regional and local retailers. For a complete listing of all of the great places to shop in Lincoln Square, click here.

Time is running out for you to visit the 7th Annual Holiday Market at Columbus Circle open now through Friday, December 24th.With only 4 days of shopping left, last minute holiday shoppers will be delighted to find an abundance of unique gifts for everyone on their list. This elegant outdoor market features a variety of items including: jewelry, handbags, health & beauty supplies, handcrafted home accessories, apparel and more! And, if the hustle and bustle of shopping becomes too much, you can take a break and grab a quick bite from one of the food booths stationed within the market, or you can visit one of Lincoln Square's excellent restaurants or eateries. For a full listing of places to eat in Lincoln Square, click here.

The Holiday Market is located right off of Central Park and Columbus Circle and is open now through Thursday from 10am-9pm, and will be open on Friday from 10am-4pm. For more information on the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle, click here.

Now through January 2, the New York City Ballet will present George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. This production is an essential part of New York City's year-end holiday season. Whether it is a family tradition or a once-in-a-lifetime visit, your experience of this glittering classic ballet will make a lasting impression and warm your spirit.

From the moment the lights dim, you will be transported to a magical place filled with adorable children, marching toy soldiers, a glowing one-ton Christmas tree that seemingly grows forever, mischievous mice, crystalline waltzing snowflakes, the Land of Sweets and some of the most glorious dancing on earth.

And, don't miss out on the Premium "Sweet Seat" VIP Package, a special holiday package, which includes premium orchestra seats, complimentary souvenir book, and 15% discount at the gift shop. Plus, for every two tickets purchased, you'll receive a voucher good for one complimentary keepsake photo with a character from the performance. Seats are limited, so purchase your tickets today!

The Mandarin Oriental, New York's Lobby Lounge on the 35th floor showcases wintery Central Park and the glittering Manhattan skyline. This is the perfect location to celebrate the holidays by relaxing and indulging in afternoon Holiday Nutcracker Tea, which ends on December 26th.

So hurry in to enjoy savory sandwiches made with Brioche, Chestnut-Mascarpone Cream, Cucumber and Ginger Snap Crunch, and Smoked Salmon with Lemon-Pistachio Crème on Marble Rye. As a grand finale, an array of sweet delicacies will be served including Coconut-Spiced Chocolate Snowballs, Toasted Caramel Pecan Pie and Miniature Double Chocolate Yule Logs.

The Holiday Nutcracker Tea is available from 2:30pm - 4:30pm daily in the Lobby Lounge at Mandarin Oriental, New York through December 26, 2010 and is priced at $48 per person. For more information or reservations, please call 212.805.8800, extension 8266.

Julie Taymor's enchanting production of Mozart's Magic Flute returns to the Metropolitan Opera this holiday season in its popular abridged English-language presentation. Nathan Gunn reprises his role as the bird-catcher, Papageno, in this fairy tale opera about the triumph of courage, virtue and wisdom. The opera takes place in a mythical land between the sun and the moon and includes a sinister queen, a courageous prince, a beautiful princess, a set of silver bells and of course, a magical flute.

Eight performances, including five special weekday matinee performances, of this one act, 101-minute production, are scheduled between December 21st through January 6th. Ticket prices range from $22 - $165 and can be purchased in person at the Metropolitan Opera Box Office, 30 Lincoln Center Plaza (Columbus Avenue between 62nd & 65th Sts); by calling the Met Ticket Service at 212.362.6000 or on-line by clicking here.

Image: Nathan Gunn as Papageno in "The Magic Flute" / Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

On display right now at Time Warner Center is an exciting exhibition dedicated to the renowned artist and father of Surrealism, Salvador Dalí. Arranged by Galerie Elysées and curated by Mr. Beniamino Levi, President of the Stratton Foundation, and Enrique Sabater y Bonany, the exhibition features a rare collection of original Dalí art that will delight and surprise audiences.

The collection consists of sixteen stunning over-sized bronze sculptures featuring the renowned and iconic 'Toreador Hallucinogene' and 'Profile of Time'. The highlight of the exhibition are two monumental sculptures bound to leave visitors awestruck - 'The Persistence of Memory' and 'Woman Aflame', standing respectively 16.5 feet and 11.5 feet tall.

This exhibition also features over forty original drawings, watercolors, collages and studies for important paintings on show for the first time ever in New York. These original artworks are on loan from the collection of Enrique Sabater y Bonany, who worked as Dalí's private secretary and confidante for 12 years from 1968 to 1981.