Written by By Naomi Thomas, CNN
On a recent Saturday night, New York City’s iconic Times Square played host to thousands of young women sporting brightly-colored bikinis and showcasing skimpy outfits with nothing underneath.
The obvious destination for young women attending the annual Life After Baby event, the spectacle inside Times Square’s iconic 5 Pointz building drew approximately 5,000 young women to party in the borough’s landmark, marking a record number of participants in the interactive night of celebration.
10,000 men from around the world descended on Times Square on Saturday, March 17, 2018, in what they called “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Credit: Miguel Medina/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Attendees tagged along to the event, known as “Life After Baby,” which is a component of the annual Carnival of Flowers festival that takes place in Brooklyn from March 19 – March 21, where participants don bikinis, braid biceps and glow in the dark breast and buttocks.
Times Square’s façade has taken on a facelift in recent years in an effort to attract female tourists and more families. The creation of two new “Times Square P.U.M.P.” face paintings — including the cartoon critter versions of “Pokemon Go” and “Casper the Friendly Ghost” — were a part of this effort, as were the creation of new “Family Escapes” boards to promote family-friendly events in Times Square.
Times Square P.U.M.P. mural created from images of Pokemon Go, and “Casper the Friendly Ghost” face painting. Credit: Times Square P.U.M.P.
“Trying to attract more families … (that is) becoming very important now,” said a tourist from Japan, adding, “L.U.T. (family vacations) has been a challenge for us, since Japan is a very important tourist destination.”
L.U.T. is the Japanese word for “family” — however, this year, all visitors are invited to tag along to the parade for the first time.
Jiranuchi family from Japan, who were attending the grand procession for the first time, were amazed at the new additions and encouraged other tourists to tag along. “This is the kind of destination we want to visit,” said one of the men, adding, “In Japan, if (you) don’t like the spot then you can always go somewhere else.”