AVALON – The Borough of Avalon and the 7 Mile Business and Community Association are making final preparations for Avalon’s biggest post-season event of the year. The annual “Festive Friday” celebration will be held in downtown Avalon on Nov. 23 which will include many free events for families including Avalon’s famous skating rink, live holiday music, the arrival of Santa Claus, and the Borough’s annual tree lighting celebration. Many Avalon businesses along with the Avalon Department of Recreation support this unique holiday event.
“Festive Friday” begins at 11:00 a.m. with various activities all along Dune Drive in the Borough’s downtown business district. The activities include a princess bounce house, holiday family photos in an Avalon Beach Patrol boat, face painters, a “Letters to Santa” station, caricature artists, strolling characters, a photo booth, and other activities. All of these activities are free to the public and supported by participating merchants.
The popular Avalon Skating Rink returns for its second consecutive year. A synthetic rink will be placed on the west side of Dune Drive between 22nd and 23rd streets. Skaters may bring their own skates; skates will also be provided by the rink company. Avalon has arranged for a special helicopter fly-in of a medical transport chopper that will be stationed on the athletic field next to the Avalon Elementary School. The helicopter will be on the field from Noon-4:00 p.m. Pets and their owners are able to get photographed with Santa inside The Princeton between 1:00-3:00 p.m.
“Festive Friday” will culminate with a community celebration at the Avalon Veterans Plaza at 21st and Dune Drive. Live holiday music will be provided by the Cumberland Community College symphony from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Santa will arrive on an Avalon Volunteer Fire Department fire truck promptly at 5:00 p.m. to help Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi light the holiday tree. Immediately following the tree lighting, children may visit with Santa. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras to take their own photographs of their children sitting on Santa’s lap.
Avalon’s very popular holiday beach tag sale will begin during the Borough’s huge Festive Friday event on Nov. 23. Beach tags with a holiday design will be sold at the 2012 pre-season sale price of $21.00; tags will be sold in a decorative box perfect for gift giving during the upcoming holiday season.
The holiday beach tags will be sold during Festive Friday in front of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department on Dune Drive. Cash and checks will be accepted for payment. Checks may be made out to “Borough of Avalon”. The tags will be honored by beach tag checkers during the 2013 summer season. The tags do not need to be exchanged for traditional beach tags with the summer artwork.
During “Festive Friday” you are able to make a toy donation for the “Toys for Tots” toy drive campaign. Donations may be made in front of Hoy’s Department Store on Dune Drive. New, unwrapped toys will be collected for children in Cape May County. Also during “Festive Friday”, the Southern Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross will have a table at the Avalon Tree Lighting Event to accept cash donations for the massive relief effort in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy. The Red Cross will also offer disaster preparedness materials to the public.
The “Festive Friday” celebration begins on Nov. 21 with the “Festival of the Trees” being held at the Whitebrier in Avalon. Visitors can place auction bids on four foot decorated trees with the proceeds funding some of the free entertainment offered during “Festive Friday” in Avalon. Trees are awarded to the highest bidder Friday evening after the Avalon tree lighting event.
For more information, please visit www.avalonboro.org or the official Facebook page for the Borough of Avalon.
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