You are reading

Woodside Christmas Tree Lit

Queens Gazette

Freezing rain and snow could not keep spectators from coming out on December 5 to celebrate the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony presented by Woodside On The Move.

Poor conditions caused the event to be moved from Sohncke Square Park at 58th Street between Roosevelt and Woodside Avenues to St. Sebastian’s school auditorium. Children and adults were told to imagine the tree lighting in their minds.

In the past several years, Christmas trees planted in the area have not survived. According to professionals from the agricultural department at Columbia University and the city Department of Parks and Recreation, the trees died because of pollution and other contributing factors. The new tree is a Japanese Yew that can withstand the stresses of an urban environment. Monsignor Michael Haridman, pastor of St. Sebastian, blessed the tree.

Choirs from St. Sebastian and P.S. 11 and P.S. 152 performed Christmas songs while visitors drank hot chocolate and ate homemade cookies. Santa Claus dropped in for a visit and handed out holiday presents.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

City debunks drone reports over LaGuardia after real emergency unfolds in Queens skies

As drone hysteria swept from New Jersey across the Hudson River to New York City on Thursday night, fueled by online reports of nearly a dozen large drones spotted over Queens, a genuine emergency unfolded in the skies above the borough.

The Port Authority and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a flight out of LaGuardia Airport earlier in the evening was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport after a bird strike blew out an engine on the aircraft.

Op-ed: A new JFK Airport is a doorway to opportunity for local and diverse businesses

Dec. 12, 2024 By Elena Barcenas and Loycent Gordon

As successful small business owners here in Queens, we join all New Yorkers in looking forward to the transformation of JFK International Airport into the world-class airport our city deserves. But a new JFK will serve as more than a global gateway for travelers—for local and minority-owned businesses like ours, it will be a doorway to life-changing opportunities.