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

NEW PALTZ, NY (November 13, 2015) – Historic Huguenot Street will host its second annual Community Tree Lighting on Friday, December 4. The live tree, generously donated by Deyo descendants and community members, is planted on the historic Deyo House front lawn. The site is believed to be one of the village’s first gathering places.

"The tree lighting is one of our newest annual community events,” 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.” 

Carolers from the Reformed Church of New Paltz choir and the New Paltz High School chorus will launch the event with a medley of traditional Victorian holiday songs. Beginning at the Reformed Church, the carolers will proceed to the Deyo House lawn for the tree lighting at 7 pm. This event is free and open to the public and the street will be closed to vehicular traffic.

A number of important community members will be in attendance, including Village of New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers, Town of New Paltz Councilman Daniel Torres, and New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathy Prizzia. Among the notable attendees will also be Santa Claus – who will arrive with special holiday treats.   

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, a Christmas Fair, horse-drawn wagon rides, kids’ crafts, and more. 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