Mayor Fulop Kicks Off City Celebrations for the Holiday Season with Free Events Citywide

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announces an array of free holiday festivities for families to enjoy across Jersey City this month.  This year’s highlights include Jersey City’s 24^th annual Toy Drive and the 7^the annual Mayor’s Holiday Concert at the Landmark Loew’s Theatre in conjunction with several tree lighting ceremonies being held in neighborhoods throughout the City.

“We continue our traditions of celebrating the holidays across the City,” said Mayor Fulop.  “This is always a very special time of year, a time to look back and celebrate all the progress we’ve made in Jersey City this year, and a time to spend with our families and friends.”

Kicking off the holiday season, Mayor Fulop, alongside the Jersey City Municipal Council and the Office of Cultural Affairs, will host the City’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony being held for the first time at the City Hall Annex located on Martin Luther King Boulevard on Tuesday, December 3^rd at 5:00pm. The decorated tree will stand 22-feet tall, adorned with a 3-foot star on top.

“I always look forward to the tree lighting, which has traditionally been the unofficial start of the holiday season in Jersey City.  We plan to rotate the tree lighting event throughout the city every year so that more people can participate and spread the positive holiday spirit,” added Mayor Fulop.

On December 13^th, Jersey City’s 24^th Annual Toy Drive will be hosted at City Hall from 6 – 8 p.m. Jersey City residents must preregister to be part of the event. Anyone can donate a new, unwrapped toy for children ages 1-12 years old to the Resident Response Center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. The last day to drop off a toy is Wednesday, December 11^th.

One of the biggest holiday celebrations include music and holiday cheer when Mayor Fulop, the Jersey City Municipal Council, the Office of Cultural Affairs and the Dante Alighieri Society of Jersey City host the 7th Annual Jersey City Mayor’s Holiday Concert. The free event will take place at the Landmark Loew’s Theatre on Saturday, December 14^th and feature classical holiday music by The Jersey Joint. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the show begins at 7:00 p.m.

Additional upcoming holiday events include:

• December 2 at 6 p.m., Newport Tree Lighting
• December 3 at 5 p.m., Audubon Park Tree Lighting
• December 5 at 6 p.m., Columbia Park Tree Lighting
• December 6 at 3:30 p.m., McGinley Square Tree Lighting
• December 6 at 6:30 p.m., Leonard Gordon Park Tree Lighting
• December 10 at 4:30 p.m., Newark Ave Pedestrian Plaza Holiday Lighting Ceremony
• December 13 at 6 p.m., 24^th Annual Toy Drive
• December 14 at 6 p.m., Mayor’s Holiday Concert at the Landmark Loews Theatre
• December 23 at 4 p.m., Menorah Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration

For more information about seasonal events visit www.jerseycityculture.org.