This season, the Energy Elite Dancers and the Percussion Orchestra of Kingston (better-known as POOK) of the Center for Creative Education will perform at a tree-lighting event on Friday, November 27. Scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., the event will feature the Broadway to Showbiz dancers doing holiday dance skits until the arrival of…you guessed it: Santa Claus! He and his cohorts will arrive by firetruck to check in on kids in the crowd and make sure that they’re all on their good behavior. Next, the Kingston High School Brass Choir will play and sing seasonal favorites, and at 6:15 the Grand Tree will be lit. CCE’s Energy Elite Dancers will take the stage to warm up the crowd and get things really moving for POOK.
Produced by the City of Kingston and the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce, the tree-lighting event will also include a bike giveaway, sponsored by the Kingston Professional Firefighters’ Local 461. Children under 11 years can sign up for a raffle, with a chance to win one of eight bicycles, complete with helmet. Deputy Chief Loren Wangstad says that there will be four boys’ and four girls’ bikes on hand, and kids can start filling out raffle tickets at 5 p.m. Hot chocolate will be served by the Salvation Army, and attendees are encouraged to share the wealth of the season by bringing an unwrapped gift to donate to “Joys for Tots.” The free event in Academy Green Park in Kingston will run from 5 to 7 p.m., and is open to all – a great way to kick off the holiday season.
POOK and Energy will also perform at World AIDS Day to be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Albany Avenue in Kingston on Tuesday, December 1st from 6 to 8 p.m. Coordinated by Angel Food East, the program will be followed by a Service of Remembrance to which all members of the community are invited.
CCE offers a “Drop & Shop” – a chance for parents to offload their children for an hour or so – so that they can shop discreetly. Open to kids from potty-trained-aged to 10 years old, the service will entertain children with dancing, holiday activities, games and snacks on December 21, 22 and 23 from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Christmas Eve from 1 to 5 p.m. The cost will be $10 for one hour and $25 for three, with proceeds to benefit CCE.
The Center for Creative Education is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a better world by nurturing and empowering youth and community through the arts. The facility in Kingston is located at 20 Thomas Street. Call (845) 338-7664 or visit www.cce-kingston.org for further information.