Get ready for some holiday fun in Glen Cove

Glen Cove is set to kick off the holiday season with its annual holiday festival, hosted by the Glen Cove Business Improvement District on Dec. 7, from 1:30 p.m. to 5. This beloved community event, which has been a tradition for over 20 years, promises a day filled with festive activities, live performances, and the much-anticipated tree lighting ceremony hosted by the city.

Held in Village Square, the festival will offer free activities for families, including horse and carriage rides, photos with Santa, and choo-choo train rides for children. “It’s all the stuff that people can expect from years past,” Jill Nossa. Executive Director of the BID said. “The last couple of years, we did stocking decorating and letters to Santa, and both of those will come back. And this year, we’re also going to have an ornament-making station.”

The event will feature live entertainment throughout the day on the main stage, showcasing performances by local talent. “We’ll have the High School Jazz Band, Select Chorale, the orchestra, kickline, and the Finley Middle School 7th and 8th-grade chorus,” Nossa explained.

“It will be a full day of festivities, with music from 1:45 to 4:45 p.m.” The lineup also includes the St. Dominic Choir and Dance Company, Jazz Hands Children’s Theatre, North Shore Village Theater, and local soloists.

In addition to the performances, visitors can enjoy holiday treats at the hot cocoa bar and browse the Holiday Marketplace, featuring local vendors along Bridge Street. “Last year, we decided to hold it on Bridge Street because it just felt like a bustling little festival,” Nossa said. “People could shop for their holiday gifts, check out the music, and get some hot cocoa.”

The day will culminate in the City of Glen Cove’s Tree Lighting Ceremony at 4:45 PM. “At that point, the city takes over,” Nossa added. “There will be Christmas carols led by the Mayor, and of course, Santa will make a return appearance.”
With free parking available at the Brewster Street parking garage, the holiday festival is an event not to be missed. “It’s always nice to be able to offer this fun day full of activities for families,” Nossa said.