The Smurfs named travel ambassadors for New York City
After filming their upcoming motion picture in New York City, The Smurfs have been named the Get More NYC Family Ambassadors to New York City by NYC & Company, the city’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation.
The Smurfs will encourage families to travel to New York City by highlighting its family attractions, complete with a special itinerary of things to do and see in the city on: nycgo.com/getmorenyc
The ‘Smurf-tinerary’ includes some of the locations visited by the little blue folk during their adventures in New York City. Manhattan’s family must-dos include Belvedere Castle and the Boathouse Restaurant in Central Park; the United States’ oldest toy store, FAO Schwarz; and Times Square. Across the rest of New York’s five boroughs, family highlights include Prospect Park in Brooklyn; Bronx Zoo in the Bronx; the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens; and Staten Island Children’s Museum. The Statue of Liberty completes the list, giving children the chance to feel as small as a Smurf next to a full-sized human.
The Smurfs will make their first 3D appearance on the big screen in Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village through a magical portal, they land in the middle of New York’s Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in New York City, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down. The Smurfs is directed by Raja Gosnell and will be released in UK cinemas on 10th August 2011.
“New York City provides an amazing backdrop for The Smurfs film,” says George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. “We’re pleased to partner with Sony Pictures Animation and invite families to get Smurfed in the City by exploring all that New York City has to offer throughout the summer.”
This week (25th – 29th July 2011) has been designated Smurfs Week NYC, with special themed events, exhibits and activities taking place across the city. Smurfs Week kicks off at Merchant’s Gate near Columbus Circle with a 3D Smurfs Village on 25th July. Later today, the Empire State Building will shine blue to encourage Smurfs fans to donate to the US Fund for UNICEF. Additional events will take place at FAO Schwarz, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden, The New York Botanical Garden, the Regal E-walk, The Skyscraper Museum and more. For a complete Smurfs Week NYC calendar of events, visit nycgo.com/smurfsweeknyc.
In 2010, New York City welcomed around 14.3 million domestic and international family visitors, a new record. Family visitors are known to spend more and do more than regular visitors, contributing around $12 billion to New York City’s economy.
