FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 16, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
Community celebrates Astoria Park holiday festival and tree lighting
BY PAUL FRANGIPANE AND
ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Community members and elected offi -
cials gathered at Astoria Park to celebrate
the ninth annual Holiday Festival and
Tree Lighting Celebration on Sunday,
Dec. 5.
More than 100 people gathered
on the great lawn at Astoria
Park to watch musical performances
while they waited
for the sun to set and the
Christmas tree lights to
fl icker on.
Kicking off the festivities
was Academia
de Mariachi Nuevo
Amanecer.
Following their
set, Queens Borough
President Donovan
Richards and Senator
Chuck Schumer came on
stage to say a few words to the crowd.
Richards said that although it’s been a
rough 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic,
“it feels good to be outside, doing
this not on Zoom.”
Richards also noted that Queens leads
New York City in vaccinations, with over
1.7 million residents vaccinated to date.
He went on to encourage people to get
vaccinated and get their booster shot.
“I really urge everyone to do that so we
can continue to enjoy these festivities,”
Richards said.
Schumer said Astoria and Queens “represent
the best of America” during his
speech.
“Some people have lived here for so
many generations, others are new immigrants,
but we welcome everybody,”
Schumer said. “We say everybody should
have a chance. We say everybody should
be able to live the American Dream and
create a better life for themselves and a
better life for their children. Th at’s what
Queens has always been about. Th at’s
what Astoria, generation aft er generation,
has always been about.”
Laurie Anne Creus from Music For
Aardvarks then took the stage with music
for children to enjoy.
More local lawmakers took the stage,
including newly sworn-in Councilwoman
Tiff any Cabán, Assemblyman Zohran
Mamdani and former Councilman Costa
Constantinides, who thanked the Central
Astoria Local Development Coalition for
putting together the event year aft er year.
Christmas Matters Holiday Carolers
sang carols as the sun set, and then it was
time to light the tree.
holiday
Photos by Paul Frangipane
The Christmas Matters Holiday Carolers sing carols as the sun sets at the ninth annual
Astoria Park holiday festival and tree lighting.
Academia De Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer perform Christmas songs at the ninth annual Astoria Park
holiday festival and tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
Laurie Anne Creus from Music For Aardvarks performs at the ninth annual Astoria Park holiday
festival and tree lighting.
The Christmas Matters Holiday Carolers sing carols at the ninth annual Astoria Park holiday festival
and tree lighting.
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