During the day, the festival was a riot of activity and spectacle.
Face and body painting were popular, and attractions like a ball pit and carnival rides kept partygoers entertained.
As electronic dance music (EDM) and the accompanying festivals have blown up over the past few years, the music has had a tendency to be "very much bro music for the dudes out there," Corsten said.
But that's all changing. "Crisscrossing the terrain at EDC New York, I noticed that the music is slowly becoming a lot more danceable again," Corsten said.
"This time I really noticed there was more groove going on, tracks were played longer, and music was breathing a lot more," he said.
A giant, light-up Ferris wheel was a major attraction, and it towered over the grounds.
Even Tinder had its own ride. Naturally, it was a "matchmaker" theme.
Or you could wait in line for the swings.
Despite chilly weather, optimistic partiers dressed for summer. We met all kinds of characters.
These models hosted a quirky treehouse-style bar for Jägermeister.
This guy, a model who has worked for Versace, didn't seem to mind the evening cold at all.
Here's Afrojack during his main stage set. At his night club residencies, Afrojack will make $150,000 a night or more. Club-goers will often pay thousands of dollars just to get in to the venues. In comparison, festival tickets are a steal.
The production of these festivals improves every year, and new events crop up each season.
For longtime DJs like Corsten, the increasing sophistication of the audience's music taste is an encouraging trend. "I really want to go back to the big old melodies that give you goosebumps," he said.
