Thursday, December 5
3 p.m.
Optional Activity: Bryant Park Winter Village and/or New York Public Library
Just blocks from the hotel, get into the festive spirit with a walk around the holiday market. Step into the beautiful New York Public Library adjacent to the market and see the original Winnie the Pooh characters who call the library home.
5—6:30 p.m.
Optional Activity: Enjoy the hotel’s daily evening reception with drinks and light appetizers
6 p.m.
Depart hotel lobby for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and dinner at Bad Roman
Christy Joehl (HHS’16), senior manager for Tapestry (owner of Coach, Kate Spade New York, and Stuart Weitzman) will join us and share her career path in NYC and how Purdue prepared her to succeed in high fashion.
Friday, December 6
7—10 a.m.
Breakfast at the hotel
10:30 a.m.
Depart hotel lobby and walk to Bryant Park for Tea Around Town
11 a.m.
Enjoy a 90-minute ride to see the sights on our own double-decker bus. Enjoy lunch (tea along with mini sandwiches, sweets, and scones) as we travel past some of NYC’s iconic buildings.
12:30 p.m.
Free afternoon to explore Christmas markets, shop, or visit museums
Optional Activity: Enjoy the hotel’s daily evening reception with drinks and light appetizers
5 p.m.
Optional Activity: Depart hotel lobby for a walking tour of 5th Avenue Christmas lights
6:30 p.m.
Depart hotel lobby for Cocoa and Carols Holiday Cruise
Gaze upon the lights of the Big Apple from the water as you cruise around Lady Liberty. Enjoy live entertainment while sipping drinks (or cocoa) and snacking on hors d’oeuvres and, of course, Christmas cookies.
Saturday, December 7
Complimentary breakfast at the hotel
Morning
Free time to explore Christmas markets, shop, or visit museums
Noon
Meet up at Frosty’s Christmas Bar for cocktails, heavy snacks, and the best holiday photo opportunities
2 p.m.
Catch a Broadway show matinee or finish up your shopping list
5—6:30 p.m.
Optional Activity: Enjoy the hotel’s daily evening reception with drinks and light appetizers
6 p.m.
Depart hotel lobby and walk to Radio City Music Hall for the 7 p.m. performance of Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular
For nearly a century, the Rockettes have been American icons. This one-of-a-kind holiday show combines singing, synchronized dancing, and humor where the unmistakable spirit of Christmas in NYC comes alive.
9 p.m.
Farewell Dinner at Butter
Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli owns and is the executive chef of Butter, opened in 2002. She uses greenmarket offerings to create a seasonal menu to delight every guest.
Sunday, December 8
Complimentary breakfast at the hotel
Patsy earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition in business from Purdue in 1969, in addition to an MBA in food marketing from Michigan State University in 1970. She retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 after 36 years in corporate food marketing and marketing communications management.
A community volunteer, Patsy serves on the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Advisory Board and the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council, in addition to the President’s Council Advisory Board. She is a former member of the Health and Human Sciences Alumni Board. Patsy held several offices from 2006 through 2013, including president and treasurer. She serves her community’s Discover Indianapolis Club in Fishers, holding several leadership roles for over 10 years.
Patsy has received several honors, including the Purdue University Nutrition Science Department Hall of Fame recipient in 2009 and the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. She also received the college’s Gold and Black Award in 2016, an honor reserved for donors who have moved the college forward by committing exceptional financial resources.
In addition to endowing two scholarships, the Patsy J. Mellott Scholarship and Patsy J. Mellott HHS Scholarship, she established the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award in the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2013. In 2015, she endowed the Patsy J. Mellott Women’s Tennis Coach Performance Award. She is a lead donor in the Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award and the Purdue Women’s Network Virginia C. Meredith Scholarship for the College of Health and Human Sciences.
