Media Contact:
Trey Jenkins
Director of Marketing and Business Services
[email protected]
718-873-2506
For Immediate Release:
SEASONAL SURPRISES TO ENLIVEN JAMAICA AVENUE THIS SATURDAY AND NEXT
Jamaica, Queens, December 3, 2021 – Seasonal Surprises will enliven the sidewalks of Jamaica Avenue this Saturday (December 4th) and next (December 11th) when the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District presents its ‘Tis the Season holiday shopping promotion.
Designed to entice shoppers to “Get your holiday shopping done, while having fun!” ‘Tis the Season will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on each Saturday and will involve free outdoor entertainment, in-store discounts, and surprise goodies and giveaways throughout the downtown Jamaica corridor.
Slated entertainment on both weekends will involve a drop-off location at Parsons Public Space (Parsons and Jamaica Avenue) where children (and still-believing adults!) can submit their letters to Santa--to be safely delivered to the North Pole by the NYPD; character photos with “Jammy the Snowman” and his trusty friend Mr. Penguin; free hot chocolate (while supplies last) at the new Avenue NYC Café located in the Jamaica Market at 90-40 160th St; discounts ranging from 10 to 20 percent at 13 retailers and restaurants; free giveaways distributed by volunteers along the Avenue; and hands-on art and crafts activities presented by a local artist Shanice Figeroux and the Home Depot. King Manor Museum, Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, and Edge School of the Arts will host drop-in activities on both Saturdays.
Additionally, the following special entertainment is slated for the following days:
Saturday, December 4th:
Saturday, December 11th:
The festivities will end when Cultural Collaborative Jamaica, another key community partner, lights their Annual Holiday tree at Rufus King Park at dusk on the 11th. More information on Cultural Collaborative Jamaica’s holiday tree lighting can be found at Cultural Collaborative Jamaica’s Instagram @culturalcollab.
“Last year was a terrible year for businesses, and consumers became more oriented than ever towards shopping online due to the pandemic. This year we wanted to do something special to encourage our customers to return to holiday shopping in our local downtown Jamaica, re-engage with their neighbors and support our local economy. A seasonal celebration for all, but a safe one that is spread out and mostly outdoors allowing for social distancing, seemed like the right way to go,” said Jennifer Furioli, Executive Director of the Jamaica Center BID. “We decided to amplify existing promotions and events that our friends at JCAL, King Manor and Cultural Collaborative were already doing, while adding a little seasonal panache of our own through additional giveaways and pop-up al fresco sidewalk entertainment.”
‘Tis the Season was made possible by a business support grant from the JFK International Air Terminal. If successful, it is something the BID hopes to repeat and grow in the future.
To learn more about the Jamaica Center BID and stay up-to-date on all happenings on Jamaica Avenue, make sure to visit jamaica.nyc, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District (BID)
Founded as the Jamaica District Management Association in 1979, the Jamaica Center BID is central to one of New York City’s fastest growing communities. Jamaica Center BID is the proud home to national and regional retailers, several major cultural and educational institutions as well as City, State and Federal Offices, and more than 400 businesses. The Jamaica Center BID seeks to maintain Jamaica Center as a thriving business hub and premier destination to shop, work, live and play. For more info visit jamaica.nyc.
