An informal census by the Times Square Alliance, a business group, counted 52 costumed characters clustered in the plaza on Saturday evening.

WSJ: Street Characters Tread Fuzzy Legal Ground

The site, Last Lot, is a short-term donation to Art Production Fund from The Shubert Organization, and is part of the Times Square Alliance initiative to bring art to Times Square.

FORBES: Manhattan Oil Project By Josephine Meckseper

While street performance has been a fixture in Times Square, the costumed crowd is a recent phenomenon, said Tim Tompkins, president of the Alliance.

WSJ: Street Characters Tread Fuzzy Legal Ground