Friday Night Live Ready to Light Up Hastings' Tree

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Tree lightings are an annual event in the center of towns across the country and Hastings will be lighting its downtown tree Friday night. 

The tree lighting will be a part of this week’s Friday Night Live event as it “Lights up the Night.”  The tree lighting will take place at 6:30 p.m. in VFW Park at the corner of Warburton Ave. and Spring St. 

“We’ll be doing some caroling, the school jazz band will be playing across the street at the bike shop too,” said Lisa O’Reilly, Hastings recreation assistant.

There will also be a holiday light show, a life-size candy house, a holiday card making station and cookies and hot chocolate will be served at the community center. 

Although O’Reilly said the plans for the light show are a surprise, most of the events are geared towards the local kids.

“It’s going to be a walkthrough candy house with life size candy and also a wall of candy where kids can just take a piece and enjoy it,” she said.

While the tree lighting usually draws about 100 people for the ceremony, according to O’Reilly, the presence of Friday Night Live could help the turnout. “I think it probably doubles it,” she said.

Along with the festive ceremonies and the entertainment at Friday Night Live, there are also several donation efforts being organized for the event.

“We’re also collecting Toys for Tots, pet food for Hudson Valley Pets and we’re also collecting pajamas for veterans,” O’Reilly said.

Local artists Craig Usher and Malcolm MacDougall will also be discussing their work at 7 p.m. at the Hastings Station Café.  If you’ve seen the mysterious statues at the Hastings Public Library, then this is where you can learn all about them.

“In total, there are five sculptures in the November Show Hastings Village Arts Commission’s rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition,” said the Friday Night Live description.  “Both sculptors are emerging artists.”

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