This year will mark 31 years that the Ward Melville Heritage Organization has hosted its Annual Holiday Festival in the Stony Brook Village Center. It will also be the very first lighting of the massive new holiday tree recently installed on the Village Green. The 38-foot Norway Spruce was donated by community members, in particular, the Damianos family, in memory of Virginia Damianos, a devoted Stony Brook resident. It will be lit with 2,400 LED lights, four times the amount in previous years.
The festival will take place Sunday, December 5, from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm. A full day of festivities will include caroling throughout the day by the International Baptist Church Choir, St. James Jr. Choir, The Celestial Singers, Gelinas Vocal Vikings, Gelinas Wind Ensemble, Setauket Elementary School Band, and the Ward Melville High School Wind Ensemble. Santa will thrill visitors as he arrives in a horse-drawn carriage to hear children’s wishes from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. WALK radio, with help from Walkie Bear, will also be on hand playing holiday music throughout the day. Santa returns with great fanfare at 5:30 pm atop a 3,000-light float created especially for him by the Stony Brook Fire Department to throw the switch on the beautiful new tree.
There is also a Holiday Tree Competition and the visiting public will choose the winner. Ballots will be available in all Village Center stores. The winning tree entry will win a $250 Stony Brook Village Center gift certificate usable in more than 35 Village Center stores and seven restaurants. Families and community groups will decorate approximately 70 holiday trees beginning at 12:00 pm on December 5 to be part of the traditional Promenade of Trees, which will remain on display through January 2.
For information, visit www.stonybrookvillage.com or call (631) 751-2244.
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