This December, Port Washington has been oozing holiday cheer: from the annual tree
lighting ceremony, to the variety of decorations all over town. Instead of just listening to holiday
music and watching winter time movies, Port Washington has been very focused on bringing the
community together this season.
There have been many different activities to help get people into the spirit. Among these
activities was the Holiday Tales at Castle Gould. This event took place on Dec. 8 at the Sands
Point Preserve from 1 pm to 4 pm.
“My family friends were planning on going to that event, and I know they really enjoy
celebrating this time of the year together” said freshman Carly Fanous.
The Sands Point Preserve delegates a lot of their energy to the community, always
offering events like this, in an effort to bring young and old members of our town together. The
Preserve was ready to take advantage of the festive season as an opportunity to unite the
attendees.
Many flyers and banners supporting this event were posted throughout Port Washington
to persuade people to attend. For just $20 for non members and $10 for Preserve members all
attendees kicked off the holiday season with others in the community.
“I think that it’s really nice to have a family event for the town to help welcome the
holidays. It’s a great way of getting into the festive time and spirit” said sophomore Sung-A
Shin.
There was a variety of traditional holiday activities. One of the activities included a
special meet and greet with Santa Claus and Ms. Claus. The children at the event had the
perfect chance to ask Santa to fulfill their Christmas wishes for this year.
“This event seems like a great opportunity for kids to spend some time with their
families. Especially today when children are drawn into the pressures of technology, this can
make it hard for some kids to have time to spare with their family” said freshman Abby Smith.
Along with the meet and greet, families were encouraged to spend quality time together
at the art and crafts section of the event. One of the art projects was the holiday mural. This
mural helped show that the season of giving was finally here, as well as design a seasonal
project for the town.
“It’s really cool that our community holds all these holiday activities so we can all get
together during this time of the year” said freshman Jesse Genicoff.
There was traditional holiday music playing all around the castle, to help make the guests
feel as if they were in Santa’s workshop in the North Pole. It even inspired some to dance along
to the tunes, but mostly the guests were infatuated by the decorations that were present. The
Great Hall of Castle Gould transformed with all the guests, activities, music, and decorations.
“The holidays are a really special time for friends and family, I think that getting together
makes the holidays the best” said 10th grader, Jocelyn Castillo.
In addition to all the other activities, there was also a spot in the castle where
mesmerizing stories were being told. Many guest readers came to visit and share stories from
different countries and cultures around the globe. Lots of families decided to listen to these
captivating tales of the holidays.
“The Holiday Tales at Castle Gould sounds like a fun way to celebrate” said freshman

Olivia Rapaccuiolo.
This event in Port was a great way to welcome the holidays and spend time with family
and friends, while enjoying festive activities.