Friday, January 17, 2025
The parties thrown on this quarter-mile-plus stretch of street in Valley Stream make local headlines year after year — not for rowdy noise complaints or over-the-top antics, but for exemplifying what many American neighborhoods increasingly seem to lack yet deeply crave: a wholesome sense of community among neighbors and friends.
That’s how Alex Carr sums up the purpose and unique selling point of the most recent Annual Holiday Block Party, on Dec. 21.
“I’m still trying to keep that old family-style block going,” he said. “Everyone always tells me that they can’t believe that this type of a block still exists.”
For more than three decades, what began as a friendly rivalry among residents of Sylvan Place in Valley Stream to best one another on the flashiest illuminated house during the holidays, has grown into a cherished community event, drawing dozens of visitors each season.
Carr, 60, who has lived on Sylvan Place for nearly his entire life, enjoyed seeing the diversity of decorations neighbors adorned on their lawns and houses. His house was no exception.
“I have a menorah next to a snowman next to a Happy Hanukkah sign next to a penguin,” he said.
Since 2014, the street’s dazzling displays have been accompanied by a block party that’s become a hallmark of the season. Barricades and auxiliary police close off the street, turning it into a pedestrian haven. Families sip hot chocolate, munch on hot dogs, and receive gifts from Santa. The Valley Stream Fire Department adds to the festivities, inviting children to explore their trucks parked along the block and, for the first time, carrying Jolly Old Saint Nick.
“This is the one night in the year where everything bad is forgotten, all feuds are put aside, and we all laugh and enjoy,” Carr said.
Despite the festive cheer, the festivities were cut short by the blistering cold. “Jack Frost” had frozen out some of the usual fun, noted Carr, as residents and visitors grabbed a cup of piping hot chocolate outside and headed indoors to heat up. The unsung heroes of the night were neighbors Richie Dyer and Carole Schroeder who braved the below-freezing temperatures to staff the hot dog grill and hot cocoa stands.
Because of the need to fight off the frost this year, there was speculation of having a Christmas in July festivity in lieu of the December one, noted Carr.
But the event, nevertheless, continues to hold a deeper significance. At the heart of the celebration is a small donation box placed outside. The box is a tribute to two former residents, Chris Schroeder and Michael Smith, whose lives left indelible marks on the community.
Schroeder, who passed away from cancer in 2013 at 18, is remembered through donations to the Sunrise Association, which supports families of children battling cancer. Smith, who had Down syndrome and died the same year at 44, is honored through contributions to the ACHOR Program fund, which aids individuals with special needs in the Town of Hempstead.
“One of the reasons we do this, you know, besides the fact of the pleasure and everything, is to try to assist a couple of charities that could always use the assistance,” he said.
By Carr’s count, the block party has only been canceled four times — once during the coronavirus pandemic and other times due to severe winter weather. Yet even in those rare moments of pause, the neighborhood’s sense of unity never dimmed.
“Everyone’s there for each other no matter what’s going on,” he said. “If there’s something bad about somebody who needs help, boom, people step in.”
This tight-knit atmosphere continues to draw people back to Sylvan Place, from those who no longer live there to those who delightfully stumble into its distinct vibe for the first time.
“I saw a lady who had arrived early with her son, go down to the Dunkin Donuts, and she sat there for 45 minutes to wait for the whole thing to start,” Carr said. “She said it was worth the wait.”
The houses on Sylvan Place remain aglow throughout December and into early January, welcoming hundreds of visitors daily. The busiest evening is typically the Saturday before Christmas when the block sees anywhere from 500 to 1,000 visitors. The twinkling light display and charity box will be out until Jan. 6.
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