Bloomfield residents celebrated the start of the holiday season Monday night with the Township’s annual Holiday Tree lighting event, sponsored by the Bloomfield Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department. As usual, families were greeted with cookies and cups of hot chocolate and featured an appearance from St. Nick. There were many other family friendly activities, including movies projected on the outdoor screen and a large synthetic ice skating rink located at Municipal Plaza.
“It was amazing to see so many excited kids and families attend our annual tree lighting. With our new synthetic ice skating rink, Municipal Plaza turned into a mini Rockefeller Center. This is just the start of the festive activities and events planned for our residents this holiday season,” said Mayor Michael Venezia. “I would like to thank our participating Scouts, Choir members, and especially Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Michael Sceurman, who works extremely hard to keep this great tradition going strong.”
Carols were sung by the St. Thomas the Apostle School choir and Bloomfield Boys and Girls Scouts. Residents donated canned goods under the tree, which the Department of Health and Human Services will distribute to their clients, local goodwill organizations, and food banks. A Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebration will be held Monday, December 23 at 6:30pm at the Civic Center.