The absence of snow didn’t detract from the Village of New Hyde Park Christmas tree lighting festivities in front of Village Hall last Saturday afternoon.
The temperature was cold enough to remind everyone that the winter season had arrived, and Santa Claus showed up on cue to transform the Village Hall evergreen tree into a magical harbinger of the season.
Village of New Hyde Park Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro presided over the festivities with the prelude to the tree lighting taking place in the warmth of Marcus Christ Hall.
The annual ceremony has been a village tradition for more than 20 years, according to Lofaro, who recalled bringing his grown children there when they were still small. And, he also recalled, it was an early snowfall that prompted the idea of moving most of the festivities indoors several years before.
“It’s a collection of the very young from the village, along with high school kids and the older residents,” Lofaro said. “It’s truly a community event.”
The afternoon began with the Magic of Amore as trickster David Blaine amused the younger children, pulling rubber chickens that were supposed to be rabbits out of his top hat, and finding an endless trove of coins behind the ears of all the small fry mostly seated on the floor of Marcus Christ Hall for the show.
New Hyde Park trustees Donald Barbieri and Lawrence Montreuil were present for the festivities along with village recreation director Rich Pallisco, fire commissioner Michael Bonura and Richard DiMartino, a member of the board of the Greater New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce and an officer of Valley National Bank, which sponsored the festivities.
Performances by the New Hyde Park Memorial High School Chamber Singers directed by Bob McKinnon and members of the New Hyde Park Memorial conducted by Noel Monat highlighted the indoor festivities prior to the tree lighting. The two groups alternated in delivering a selection of traditional holiday tunes.
The chamber singers opened with a rendition of “Carol of the Bells,” and their Christmas repertoire included “Christmas Song,” “Let It Snow,” a version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and a rousing finale of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”
The high school band played “Silent Night,” “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,” and “Jingle Bells” among its seasonal selections.
Following the music, most of the residents who filled Marcus Christ Hall filed out into the windy night at Lofaro’s invitation to witness the tree lighting and see a “special guest” who he said was expected. Lofaro issued a cautionary note that the visitor was being delayed in traffic on Jericho Turnpike, which was also to be expected.
The jolly looking man in the red suit and white flowing beard arrived right on time, transported by helpers from the New Hyde Park Fire Department. And the crowd counted down until Santa hit the button that lit up the evergreen on the Village Hall green with a sparkle of a timeless season.
