With Mayor Bill de Blasio, a number of elected officials and scores of neighborhood families with beaming children in tow, Brooklyn’s holiday spirit once again kicked off Sunday with Kings County Democratic Party Chair Frank Seddio‘s Canarsie Annual Holiday Display.
This magnificent collage of lights, animated figures and talking animatronics at Seddio’s former home and now law office on the corner of Flatlands Avenue and East 93rd Street has been a Brooklyn tradition since 1963 attracting visitors to the neighborhood of Canarsie from around the Borough and the City.
“I remember coming here with my own kids when I was a city councilman,” said a festive de Blasio, personally wishing many in the crowd a happy holidays.
Valued at over $350,000 the display includes over 50,000 lights; almost 100 animated dolls; a talking Christmas tree; and a four-foot parrot who sings, tells jokes, and captures the hearts of all who hear him.
Each of eight display areas identifies a different holiday theme. International and multicultural in flavor, vignettes also depict not only Christmas but Chanukah and Kwanzaa celebrations.
Also on hand at the event was a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, who patiently took the time to speak with the hundreds of local kids and hand them candy.
The Public School 115 chorus and the choir of Saint Holy Family Church and Our Lady of Trust School provided musical entertainment with Christmas carols and other holiday songs.
Visitors to the display can watch the Smurfs, as they ice skate across the front lawn with Papa Smurf and Smurfette as the star attractions, dancing to Holiday songs.
Enjoy Santa’s workshop, which includes eight shiny reindeer, elves making toys and Santa himself.
Experience a Nativity, imported from Italy, which features life size religious figures in their own unique Christmas creche.
In still another scene, enjoy children listening to the Winter Wizard recite the “Night before Christmas.”
Look for the 20-foot high Hot Air Balloon festooned with lights to guide you to the house or the twelve-foot Ferris Wheel which circles the front lawn and includes the Minions enjoying a fun-filled ride.
This year’s other new arrival is a flying Zeppelin which floats fifteen feet above the ground and travels over 100 feet across the entire length of the side yard of the property.
Another display is a visit with the Van Deer family (animated reindeer dolls) enjoying holiday cheer.
A host of Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse are seen decorating their Christmas tree, nicknamed “Stumpy,” an eight-foot computer generated animatronic tree which vocalizes holiday songs and tells jokes.
Standing guard over the entire display is a 15-foot Toy Soldier who oversees the Carousel of reindeer. The Carousel is over 10 feet in diameter and circles the inner yard of the property.
The lighting is worth a trip to Canarsie to see and will be on display through the year-end holidays.
