Want the chance to meet your favorite stars in a one-of-kind Christmas experience? The Great American Family Christmas Festival is for you.
Mill Bacchus
Want the chance to meet your favorite stars in a one-of-a-kind Christmas experience? The Great American Family Christmas Festival is for you.
The New York Islanders and Great American Media have transformed the Northwell Park at UBS arena into an activity-filled Christmas Village for this time ever this holiday season. The Christmas festival is running until Dec. 22, with Great American actors being featured every weekend, participating in live Q&As, panels, movie screenings, and more. Walking through this magically decorated winter village while seeing some of your beloved actors will make you feel as if you are in your own Great American Family film.
The grand opening weekend of the Christmas festival had appearances by actresses Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, and actors Cameron Mathison and Trevor Donovan from Great American Family. The stars appeared on stage, welcoming festivalgoers taking part in the first-ever tree lighting ceremony at the park.
“It’s nice to work with a lifelong Islanders fan in Bill Abbot (CEO of Great American), and it’s wonderful for me and now for you to get to meet your movie heroes,” Jon Ledecky, co-owner of the Islanders, said on hosting the Christmas festival next to UBS.
Actress Cameron Bure had a live Q&A on the central stage, which was followed by a 10-minute screening of her new Great American Family movie “Home Sweet Christmas.”
“There’s so much freedom and forgiveness, and it’s a beautiful message that’s throughout the film … I hope that people will take that to heart,” Bure said about the movie on stage prior to the preview.
The festivity-filled park has an activity for everyone of all ages. Children get the opportunity to meet the most important figure of the season to them at Santa’s craft village. The indoor workshop allows individuals to pose for photographs with Santa himself and participate in holiday arts and crafts.
The village also features a large outdoor skating rink that offers rental skates to hop on the ice for a lively experience. There are multiple food stands throughout the village that offer savory food and refreshments, including glazed holiday donuts, boozy hot chocolate, and more. Festivalgoers shouldn’t worry too much about the cold temperatures affecting the ambiance of this outdoor event, as there are a multitude of firepits scattered throughout the park and igloos available upon reservation to keep you warm.
Test out your own hockey skills in the park, as there are many interactive games the entire family can enjoy and participate in, such as miniature setups of hockey, including an accuracy and bullseye challenge.
Read more: Holiday events on Long Island: 2024 Guide