Start Your Happy Holidays With Us: Avalon and Stone Harbor Kick Off the Season Over Thanksgiving Weekend
SH Christmas Parade
When the last slice of pumpkin pie disappears and the football game fades into background noise, the spirit of the season comes to life in the Boroughs of Avalon and Stone Harbor. You won’t want to miss one minute of the fun over Thanksgiving weekend on Seven Mile Beach.
Avalon kicks things off with a post-feast hustle at the annual Turkey Trot 5K and 1.5-mile walk to benefit the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children. Runners and walkers of all ages (even dogs in turkey costumes) line the streets for this festive fundraiser. Sign up online today at dillerblindhome.org. Day-of registration begins at 8am at Avalon Community Hall and the event steps off at 10am. There will be awards in the 5K run for the top three men and top three women finishers, and the top three in each age group. All participants are encouraged to dress in their festive best for a chance to win a prize. Every mile you run or walk helps blind and visually impaired children enjoy an unforgettable summer camp experience at the Diller Vacation Home.
From there, Avalon transforms the downtown shopping district into Festive Friday, a day packed with more than 40 free family fun activities from 11am-4pm. Strolling Dune Drive, you’ll find live music, face painting, balloon artists, fairy hair tinsel for people and puppies, and photo ops with many popular characters, all sponsored by the 7 Mile Business Community Association. This all leads up to Avalon’s favorite tradition: Santa’s arrival and the tree lighting ceremony with Mayor McCorristin at 5pm from Veterans Plaza.
Get a good night’s rest because Avalon’s Snowfest Saturday keeps the good cheer rolling from 11am-4pm with bounce houses, obstacle courses, slides, trampolines, a rock wall, and even more rides spanning Dune Drive from 30th Street to 20th Street. Write your letter to Santa and get your family photo with Santa in his sleigh at Veterans Plaza! Be sure to get in line by 3:30pm before he heads back to the North Pole. Enjoy festive music performances by The Corner Boys & Co., sponsored by the Avalon Free Public Library. Take advantage of special deals and discounts throughout the small-business community all weekend long because we all know the holiday lists don’t check themselves.
Please plan accordingly as Dune Drive will be closed from 30th Street to 20th Street during the events on Friday and Saturday.
Just a few miles south, Stone Harbor’s Island Holiday Weekend offers its own coastal charm throughout Thanksgiving weekend. Picture twinkling lights on 96th Street, the scent of hot cocoa in the air, and shop doors open wide for Merchants’ Hospitality Night on Friday evening. Bundle up and get ready for 100 percent chance of snow during Stone Harbor’s tree lighting ceremony on 96th Street on Friday night. The Holiday Market and carousel at the Water Tower lot add extra magic for kids from 11am-5pm on Friday and Saturday from 11am-4pm, and be sure to sign up to participate in the scavenger hunt. Take a break from shopping and browse beautifully decorated trees on Friday and Saturday at the Women’s Civic Club during the Winter Wonderland Festival of Trees.
Saturday kicks off at 10am with the Downtown Dash down 96th Street and First Avenue, following registration at 9am. Don your silliest holiday costume and race through downtown Stone Harbor in festive style! Looking for family fun after the dash? Head over to the holiday market for a second day of shopping and carousel rides.
When the sun goes down, get ready for Stone Harbor’s beloved Christmas Parade, stepping off at 6:30pm. The parade features fire trucks, floats, community groups, and more, all brimming with holiday cheer and festive décor! The route begins on Third Avenue at 107th Street, turns right onto 96th Street, then left onto Second Avenue to 95th Street. A designated “quiet zone” along Second Avenue ensures everyone can enjoy the magic comfortably. This is one holiday tradition you won’t want to miss!
For many families, Thanksgiving weekend on Seven Mile Island isn’t just a getaway, it’s a tradition that marks the start of the holidays. It’s where generations reunite, friends bump into friends, and the beach towns they love most shimmer with a little extra holiday magic.
So, after the turkey and trimmings, pack your coat (and maybe your running shoes) and head for the shore. Between the trots, the trees, and the twinkling lights, you’ll quickly see why Thanksgiving weekend in Avalon and Stone Harbor is the most wonderful start to the most wonderful time of the year.
