With Union Square again set to become an outdoor skating destination for the next two months, neighborhood bar and restaurant owners are aiming to capitalize on the expected additional foot traffic by adding their own festive touches to draw in visitors.

Wednesday marked the opening of the Union Square Ice Skating Rink , a tradition that turns the shopping district’s public plaza into a winter paradise through Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This holiday season, the rink’s 18th, will feature skating lessons, dance parties, drag performances and other special events.

Merchants near the plaza say they are ready to capitalize on the influx of visitors by giving them reasons to stick around long after they have completed laps around the ice.

Nnan Chotiphanomvivat, the general manager of Powe

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