Release Date: Nov 27, 2006
Contact: Michelle Karshan
Tel: 212-613-6033
Email: mkarshan@aol.com
Brooklyn's Downtown Atlantic Avenue
to Celebrate the Holidays with Annual Tree Lighting Festival and
Window Design Competition
Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation hosts annual neighborhood
event
- City Councilman David Yassky to officiate Tree Lighting
- Santa Claus as Special Guest
Brooklyn,
New York - November 20, 2006 - On Thursday, November
30th, 2006 at 6:00 p.m., the Atlantic Avenue Local Development
Corporation, together with the merchants and restaurants of Atlantic
Avenue, from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue, will host this year's
Annual Atlantic Avenue Tree Lighting Ceremony in front of the
Belarusian Church, corner of Atlantic Avenue and Bond
Street in downtown Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood.
The Tree Lighting event, which is open to the public, is sponsored
by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation
and merchants and restaurants of Atlantic Avenue. (Note: Rain
date for Tree Lighting event is Friday, December 1st.)
City
Councilman David Yassky will once again officiate the
tree lighting and a panel of prominent local personalities serving
as judges for the Annual Atlantic Avenue Holiday Window Design
Competition will announce this year's winners. Santa Claus
will also participate in the caroling greeting children and receiving
their Dear Santa letters.
Once again
choruses of Christmas carolers made up of children from local
Public Schools 261 and 38 will lead neighbors
in this annual gathering held in Boerum Hill, but also drawing
on merchants, residents and schoolchildren from Cobble Hill and
Brooklyn Heights to bring the holidays in together.
Reflecting
on the recent addition of residential buildings and new shops
along this strip of Atlantic Avenue, Ian L Kelley, Esq.,
President of the Board of the Atlantic Avenue Local Development
Corporation, said, "We look forward to welcoming our new
residential and business neighbors at this year's annual Tree
Lighting event."
Background
on Annual Window Design Competition
The Annual
Atlantic Avenue Holiday Window Design Competition is based on
artistic merchandising and creative window display. The award
is given to merchants for their aesthetic contribution to the
neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn
and Boerum Hill.
Competitors
must have their window designs installed by 6 p.m. on November
29 when the panel of judges will walk along the avenue to view
and judge individual store windows based on the following criteria:
original creative concept; use of materials; display technique;
merchandising acumen; execution on a holiday theme and eye catching
appeal for pedestrians.
The panel
of judges was selected based on their artistic merit, diligence
and accomplishments in the fine, visual and media arts or community
development and beautification -- and must live and work in Brooklyn.
This year's panel consists of judges who have demonstrated great
interest in the economic and visual development of Brooklyn's
commercial districts, and, they all love Atlantic Avenue!
The
judges for this year's competition are Ellen
Kirby, Director of Brooklyn Greenbridge, Community Horticulture
Program. Ellen is beloved in Brooklyn for the work that she and
her staff do on the annual "Greenest Block in Brooklyn"
done in cooperation with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
and sponsored by Independence Community Foundation; Elizabeth
Ernish, Senior Planner in the Office of the Brooklyn
Borough President concentrating on Parks and Open Space, the Environment,
and Transportation and Land Use; Gwen Lewis,
of Lewis Gallery, an award winner of the Annual
Atlantic Avenue Holiday Window Design Competition for many years
(Lewis Gallery is now located in Bedford-Styvesant at 411 Lewis
Avenue). The Lewis Gallery is known for its vast collection of
African-American and African art.
Atlantic
Avenue Local Development Corporation
The Atlantic
Avenue Local Development Corporation, originally formed in 1974,
is a not-for-profit organization committed to the economic development
of the Atlantic Avenue area from Fourth Avenue to the East River
waterfront in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to producing the
Atlantic Antic, one of New York City's major cultural attractions,
and other special events, the organization's activities include
implementation of streetscape improvements, historic storefront
preservation, and advocacy on issues of importance to the retail
and residential community. The Atlantic Avenue Local Development
Corp. is charged with bringing to fruition the Atlantic Avenue
Master Plan which was conceived by the Atlantic Avenue Leadership
Conference, a collaboration of 50 local community groups and businesses
including the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation.
Directions:
(2,3,4, 5 to Nevins Street, A,C to Hoyt Street, R to Lawrence
Street, F to Jay or Bergen Street)
For further
information, please contact the Atlantic Avenue Local
Development Corporation at 718-875-8993
Editors:
For image of holiday poster for this event, please contact mkarshan@aol.com
