NEWS RELEASE: Historic Huguenot Street to Host
Annual Community Tree Lighting

NEW PALTZ, NY (November 14, 2016) – Historic Huguenot Street will host its third annual Community Tree Lighting on Friday, December 2. The live tree, generously donated by Deyo descendants and community members, is planted on the historic Deyo House front lawn. 

“We’re happy to see our annual Community Tree Lighting grow every year,” said Kara Gaffken, Director of Public Programming. “We are proud to provide opportunities for community gatherings in the heart of New Paltz through free, public events like this one.”

At 6:45, the community will participate in a Paper Lantern Light Parade, beginning at the Reformed Church and proceeding to the Deyo House lawn for the tree lighting. Luminaries will line the street and paper lanterns will be available for purchase at the Museum Shop (Holiday Tour registrants will receive a complimentary lantern). The tree will be lit at 7 pm by Village of New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers and Ulster County Executive Mike Hein. Following the tree lighting, guests are welcome to take free photos with Santa on the Deyo House porch. This event is free and open to the public, and the street will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Before and after the tree lighting, guests are invited to the DuBois Fort Visitor Center and Museum Shop for holiday shopping and sweets, including a Lagusta’s Luscious Pop-Up Shop with fine handmade vegan chocolates and confections. In the Museum Shop, guests can shop for ornaments, Steiff bears, jewelry, books, and other holiday gifts.

The Community Tree Lighting is a part of A Holiday on Huguenot Street, two days of holiday programming organized by Historic Huguenot Street and the Reformed Church of New Paltz, including holiday tours, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more. This holiday programming is made possible through the generous sponsorships of Americas Best Value Inn of New Paltz, the 1850 House Inn & Tavern, The Accounting Offices of Tom Fucito CPA, P.C., and Ulster Savings Bank. See huguenotstreet.org/holiday for more information.

A National Historic Landmark District, Historic Huguenot Street is a 501(c)3 non-profit that encompasses 30 buildings across 10 acres that was the heart of the original 1678 New Paltz settlement, including seven stone houses that date to the early eighteenth century.  It was founded in 1894 as the Huguenot Patriotic, Historical, and Monumental Society to preserve the nationally acclaimed collection of stone houses. Since then, Historic Huguenot Street has grown into an innovative museum, chartered as an educational corporation by the University of the State of New York, that is dedicated to protecting our historic buildings, conserving an important collection of artifacts and manuscripts, and promoting the stories of the Huguenot Street families, from the sixteenth century to today. 

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Contact
Kaitlin Gallucci
Communications & Marketing Manager
(845) 255-1660
media@huguenotstreet.org