Since moving to the Floral Park in 1977, Trustee Archie Chang said, he feels like George Bailey when he walks down Tulip Avenue.
“People are yelling ‘Hey Archie,’ I’m yelling back ‘Merry Christmas,'” Chang said. “It’s just such a wonderful time and [the tree lighting] exemplifies what Floral Park is all about.”
The annual tree lighting on Dec. 1 was a night filled with magic, according to Mayor Dominick Longobardi.
Hosted by the Floral Park Chamber of Commerce, Our Lady of Victory Parish, the Floral Park Junior Women’s Club and the Village of Floral park, the night took all hands on deck to pull off.
This year, the event featured ice skating and an appearance by the Budweiser Clydesdale horses.
“You couldn’t pull this off in many places,” Chang said. “You wouldn’t have the resources that we have.”
It took many meetings to ensure everything was put in place and prepared for the night, Longobardi said. He also thanked the public works department for ensuring the garbage trucks, used to help block the street, didn’t become an obstruction to the festivities.
“In my 28 years in the sanitation business, I don’t think I’ve ever seen shinier garbage trucks,” Longobardi said.
Longobardi also thanked the fire department, and police department. Police commissioner Stephen McAllister was the one who arranged to have the Clydesdale horses at the event, Longobardi said.
The community effort and holiday spirit were straight out of a Hallmark movie, Longobardi said.
Everytime he looked up, he said he saw smiling faces – especially on the kids.
“The spirit of Floral Park really came out,” Longobardi said. “It is truly what our village is all about. If you’re not sure, this is who we are and this is everything we want to be.”
At Christmastime, Longobardi said, Floral Park is shining.
