FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Date: November 13, 2024

Contact: Shantal Marshall, Communications & PR Manager

Email: pr@atlanticave.org

Office Number: 718-875-8993

 

Atlantic Avenue to Kick Off Holiday Season with Special Events and Promotions:

Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Photos with Santa, Free Children’s Party,

 and Three Festive Holiday Weekends! 

 

Brooklyn, NY- November 13, 2024- The holiday season is approaching soon and Atlantic Avenue will be lively with special events, deals, Santa, and a special ‘Walk the Windows Weekend’ on December 7 and 8.

 

On Tuesday, November 26, everyone is invited to the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The free public event will be held at the St. Cyril of Turov Belarusian Church, located at 401 Atlantic Avenue at 6:00 pm. The Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will be officiated by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, and Council Member Lincoln Restler. Following the holiday greetings from elected officials, the charming Girl Scouts Troops 2133 and 2518 first, second, and third-graders from P.S. 261 Philip Livingston will count down to the lighting of the tree. After the tree is lit, Brooklyn High School of the Arts will sing holiday classics to conclude the ceremony and send everyone off with a merry start to the holiday season.

 

On Wednesday, December 4, the Atlantic Avenue Merchant Holiday Window Judging Competition will have four judges travel along the avenue to view the festive wintry designs created by participating Atlantic Avenue merchants. This year’s judges will include: Alaiyo Bradshaw, artist, professor, and President of the Brooklyn Watercolor Society; Candace Damon, Vice Chairman of HR&A Advisors Inc.; Alicia Degener, Brooklyn artist and President of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition and Leon Taylor, Director of Community Media at BRIC. They will vote for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The winners will be announced on the AALDC Instagram and Facebook @atlanticaveldc by Friday, December 6. For the list of judges and bios, visit https://www.atlanticave.org/holidays.

 

‘Walk the Windows Weekend’ Dec. 7 & 8, will kick-off the Atlantic Avenue Holiday Shop & Dine Season, with more fun-filled festivities on the weekends of December 14-15 and 21-22. Patrons are invited to visit Atlantic Avenue from Fourth Avenue to Hicks Street to view stunning holiday windows while they shop small for unique gifts. Free ‘Shop & Dine Atlantic Ave’ tote bags featuring postcards highlighting local businesses’ events, festivities, and deals, will be distributed. The jolly man himself Santa will stroll along Atlantic Avenue to take photos on ‘Walk the Windows Weekend’ as well as Dec.14 & 21. To add to the holiday magic on these days, a Brass Quartet will play holiday music for patrons while they shop and dine. A Children’s Party (listed below) will take place at the Hoyt Street Garden. Win a $50 gift certificate to one of our businesses! Take a photo of a star or snowflake (in any form) in any five store windows and send your photos to the link listed on our website.  First five people on both the 7th & 8th will win. For a list of where to spot Santa and the Brass Quartet, and more holiday details, visit https://www.atlanticave.org/holidays. This festive weekend is one not to be missed!

 

The 4th Annual Children’s Party with Santa will occur during ‘Walk the Windows Weekend’, Saturday, December 7 from 12-3 pm. The free event will be held at the Hoyt Street Garden, located at the corner of Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue. Parents and guardians are invited to bring their kids for arts, crafts and Santa. They will decorate and color ornaments shaped like snowmen, holiday trees, and more to be displayed on the fences of the vibrant Brooklyn garden. Children can even bring their own ornament creations from home to be exhibited. Santa and Olaf will spread holiday cheer by greeting and taking pictures with families. 

 

The AALDC continues to support the local shelters and organizations with our Annual Holiday Toy Drive. This yearly tradition benefits women and children living in homeless shelters during the holidays. Toys will be donated to organizations such as Arbor Inn and Camp Friendship. We also donate toys to Council Member Lincoln Restler’s office for them to give to Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses. We urge the public to participate by dropping an unwrapped toy into one of our toy boxes in many Atlantic Avenue businesses until December 12th. For a list of participating businesses who will have a Holiday Toy Drive Box in their store, please visit https://www.atlanticave.org/holidays 

 

A big thank you to our holiday sponsors and media partners: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Community Offshore Wind, Apple Bank, Hollow Nickel, Sahadi’s, and Schneps Media.

 

Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC)

The Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC) is a Section 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to further economic development, historic preservation, and cultural enrichment in the greater Atlantic Avenue area. The AALDC provides information, advocacy, produces events and projects that promote economic growth and vitality, for the preservation and development of downtown Brooklyn and neighboring communities. For more about AALDC, visit www.atlanticave.org and Instagram and Facebook @atlanticaveldc.

 

###

 

Note to Editors: For further press information and high-resolution images, email pr@atlanticave.org