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In case you missed it, it's been pretty freakin' brick outside this week, which very much has us scouring the city's best spas for bubbling hot tubs and boiling steam rooms to offset that awful chill. Helpfully, an entire large-scale sauna festival is soon coming to New York City next month to bring much-needed relaxation and warmth to our frigid city.
Beginning February 12 and running through March 1, Culture of Bathe-ing will transform Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront into an immersive and "unprecedented bathing experiment," with the aims of being the largest sauna village ever staged in the United States. Led by Robert Hammond, co-founder of the High Line, the fest will be equal parts wellness experience and cultural event, with both ticketed spa sessions — more than 1,000 guided experiences led by internationally renowned Aufguss World Champions and bathing practitioners from New York favorites including Bathhouse, Othership, and the Russian & Turkish Baths — as well as free public programming and workshops scheduled throughout the run, including live performance, sound, ritual, and immersive art curated in partnership with Pioneer Works.
Related: A new Nordic-inspired bathing club opened in Noho this past fall
“We are excited to partner with Therme’s sauna festival at Domino Park to bring talks, rituals, workshops and performances into the bathhouse,” says Gabriel Florenz, Founding Artistic & Executive Director at Pioneer Works. “Our joint program, Hot Bodies, creates a space for embodied exploration, using heat as both a medium and metaphor to deepen how we feel, listen, and relate. In this unconventional space, we’re exploring how gathering in close proximity can open up forms of presence and connection.
Want to steam, soak and sweat your way through this brutal New York winter? Check out the Culture of Bathe-ing website for more information and to check out the festival's sauna experiences; sessions are priced from $60–$125 based on time and day. In the meantime, check out a rendering of the wellness experience below, against the scenic backdrop of the Williamsburg Bridge.
