An afternoon of free holiday fun is coming to Douglaston on Saturday.
The Douglaston Village Winter Festival will take place on Dec. 9 from 2 to 6 p.m. The community is invited to enjoy a series of activities, refreshments and local shopping opportunities at the Douglaston Station Plaza, a public space next to the LIRR station.
A portable rink will be set up at the site for the duration of the event. Guests can rent skates and enjoy a turn on the rink for free.
Fight the cold with hot bites to eat, including pasta, chili, pretzels and other refreshments available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting P.S. 98. Local vendors will also be selling jewelry, crafts, foods, holiday plants and wreaths and other goods.
The Patti Schmidt Dance & Exercise Center will put on a performance of “The Nutcracker” at the plaza. Guests are also invited to take a jaunt down the business corridor to enjoy caroling, hot chocolate, mulled cider and other treats courtesy of some of the local businesses.
Santa is slated to make an appearance at around 2 p.m., and the village’s holiday lights will be illuminated for the occasion.
Awards will be given out to those people and pets in attendance donning the best ugly Christmas sweaters around 4 p.m. Attendees may also drop off unwrapped toy donations to be handed over to Toys for Tots.
Organizers ask that all children at the event be accompanied by an adult. The festival is presented by the Douglaston Local Development Corporation and P.S. 98, the Douglaston School.
The Douglaston LIRR Station is located at 235th Street and 41st Avenue, off Douglaston Parkway and Wainscott Avenue. In the event of inclement weather, the festival will take place on Sunday, Dec. 10.
For more details about the event as they become available, visit the Facebook event page.
