Fifth Avenue Snowflake is back!
Stonbely Family Foundation and Fifth Avenue Association are carrying on the decades long tradition of hanging the iconic snowflake chandelier at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. There will be car-free open streets on December 10th and 17th from 12 p.m to 6:00 p.m. .
| 08 Dec 2023 | 04:32
The Snowflake hung 50 feet up in the air at the intersection between Fifth Avenue and 57th street got a big makeover this year. (
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Fifth Avenue’s 30-foot-wide snowflake chandelier is the grandest in the world.
Back 50 feet above our heads and brighter than ever, the Fifth Avenue Association and the Stonbely Family Foundation celebrated the lighting of the snowflake on Dec 3rd.
With stores like Cartier, Dior, and Rolex drawing attention on social media and bringing large crowds from their eye-catching holiday lights and decor, the pressure was on for this year’s snowflake.
After going through serious renovations, 16,500 crystals encompass the snowflake alongside more than 600 new high intensity full color LED lights.
Big name companies like Tiffany & Co., Gucci, The Plaza, Bergdorf Goodman, Christine M.J Oliver, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, and more recently joined the fun as contributors to hang the snowflake.
“A symbol of tradition! We love it!” commented the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue’s post showing the snowflake on Instagram.
The snowflake will also be the centerpiece for the Gift of Fifth Holiday Open Streets, closing down 11 blocks taking place on Dec. 10th and 17th from from noon to 6 p.m.
An iconic symbol since 1984, the Snowflake has been in the background of millions of photographs and a staple of New York’s holiday decorations. Although, in the heat of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the snowflake did not make an appearance.
“The best is yet to come! Plans are underway to resume the highly successful Snowflake Ball next year, which raised more than $65 million for the world’s children,” said George Stonbely, Chair of The Stonbely Family Foundation, George Stonbely in a press release.
In 2001, the Snowflake was rededicated to UNICEF which serves the world’s children. It has since moved to a new non-profit–The Fifth Avenue Snowflake for Humanity–with a mission to raise funds for humanitarian and arts organizations.
Marie Boster, president of The Fifth Avenue Association called the snowflake Saks avenues’ “north star.”
“We look to the snowflake’s brightness, uniqueness, and splendor–just like the iconic avenue–to let us know the holiday season is here,” she said.