Kearny, NJ – On Thursday, December 1, 2022, the Town of Kearny held its Annual Town Hall Tree Lighting Festival, sponsored by Mayor Alberto G. Santos and Members of the Town Council and the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone.
The immensely popular town-wide tradition began at 5:30 p.m. on the steps of Town Hall with a holiday concert featuring local performers of all ages. The event was attended by hundreds of families that witnessed the festive holiday concert and dance recitals on the steps of Town Hall, featuring performances by the Kearny High School Ensemble, the West Hudson Arts & Theater Company (WHATCo) Chorus, Roosevelt & Schuyler Schools Choral Groups, The Next Step School of Dance, the Hudson Arts & Sciences Choral Group, Franklin School Choral Group, Paz Music Academy students, and the Kearny Middle School and Kearny High School Chorus.
The highlight of the show was the arrival of Santa Claus to help Mayor Alberto G. Santos light the Kearny Town Hall Holiday tree. “Santa’s arrival is definitely one of the highlights of the night,” said KUEZ coordinator John Peneda. After the show, the festivities moved over to Town Hall Park, where many free activities took place, including face painting, balloon sculpting, holiday craft making, the return of the life-sized Snow Globe, a letters to Santa station and much more! The merry making also included costumed character appearances and performances on the Jingle Bell Stage by the West Hudson Christian Chorus and local Kearny soloist Gabriel De Los Santos.
The KUEZ was also on hand with their annual Toy Raffle; they also distributed free 2023 Town of Kearny Calendars and Kearny Rewards cards. The Kearny PBA truck provided free hot chocolate and donuts.
The Town of Kearny thanks the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone business community and local civic organizations for their support. Special thanks to the Coccia Realty, Girl Scouts, Junior Woman’s Club of Arlington, Kearny Fire Department, Kearny Public Library, Kearny Scouts Unit 305, Midtown Pharmacy, Classic Cleaners, Next Step School of Dance, Provident Bank, River Terminal Development, Rosa Agency, West Hudson Arts & Theater Company (WHATCo) and the West Hudson/South Bergen Optimist Club for their donations towards this year’s event.
The annual tree lighting event is sponsored by the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone (KUEZ) and Mayor Alberto G. Santos and Town Council.
(Photos by Barbara Goldberg)
