More than 40 children in Council District 32 got into the Christmas spirit during a free and festive gingerbread house making event in Forest Park.
The second-annual event, organized by Council Member Joann Ariola in collaboration with NYC Parks and the Forest Park Trust, saw more than 40 local children and their families flock to the historic Oak Ridge in the Woodhaven section of the park to make festive gingerbread houses on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Participating children and their families got into the holiday spirit by decorating gingerbread houses while listening to classic Christmas tunes. They also enjoyed seasonal treats such as hot chocolate and cookies, while volunteers at the Forest Park Trust provided coloring books for kids to enjoy.
Michelle Cook-Lopez, the third-generation manager of the historic Cook’s Arts & Crafts Shoppe in Glendale, taught children how to decorate gingerbread houses during the event. Oak Ridge, a turn-of-the-century golf house built in 1905 which now houses the Queens Council for the Arts, provided a historic backdrop for the family event.
Ariola said the event was the perfect way for local families to kick off the holiday season and connect with their neighbors.
“There’s no better way to start off the holiday season than seeing kids having fun and families making memories together,” Ariola said in a statement. “Events like this bring communities together and give kids and parents a chance to connect with their neighbors in positive, creative ways while building memories that will last a lifetime.”
Portia Dyrenforth, executive director for The Forest Park Trust and a forest and highland parks administrator with NYC Parks, described the Dec. 10 event as a “wonderful afternoon” and praised Cook-Lopez for leading activities on the day.
“It was a wonderful afternoon with hot chocolate, cookies and holiday music,” Dyrenforth said. “We were so grateful to have Michelle Cook-Lopez from Cook’s Crafts leading and NYC Parks, Queens Recreation helping out with all.”
