The Camuso Holiday Display will open for the 2023 season this Saturday evening at the Oval, in front of the gazebo.
The exhibit is open weekdays from 5 to 9 p.m. It will close at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays this December.
The display will open on S aturday, December 2, with a performance by the Livingston Starliners DanceTeam at 6:30 p.m. Lights will go on at 7 p.m. Ernie Camuso’s great grandchildren, the Rentis family, will lead the lighting. The evening will also include trackless train rides, a choir quartet in the gazebo, and a bouncy house.
The “elves” on the Display Committee are hard at work preparing for the opening. Its members have been meeting to raise funds and to plan improvements to the display.
“We vowed last year that 2023 would be bigger and better than ever,” said Chief Elf Tom Cooney.
A newer addition to the display is the Gingerbread House. An Elf on the Shelf will also be hidden within the display, his location changing each night.
Livingston UNICO will once again sponsor Santa Claus and his elves at the gazebo at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 9.
The Chanukah menorah lighting, led by Rabbi David Vaisberg and Rabbi Simeon Cohen, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 10.
Livingston’s First Responders are sponsoring the event on Saturday, December 16, which will feature a special appearance from Santa, for children with special needs and their families, coordinated by the Livingston Advisory Committee for Disabilities. That meet and greet will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Later that evening, at 7 p.m., the Livingston Fire Department and First Aid Squad will host a craft project, open to all children. Santa Claus will also make another appearance, and hot chocolate will be provided. There will also be Clydesdale horses and wagon rides and a petting zoo for families.
Beth Lippman, executive director of the Business Improvement District has been spearheading the Display Committee’s fundraising efforts.
“We have great businesses in town that support this spectacular event,” Lippman said. “Funds go towards the repairs and upgrading of the display. It takes a lot of work, special parts and special people to keep them working.”
This year, people may purchase a holiday stocking made by the elves. Names will be written on each stocking, and they will be placed around the display. Stockings come in red, green, and blue. They can be purchased for a fee, which will go toward the restoration, repair, and upkeep of the display. They may then be taken home to be kept in January.
Also new this year is an ADAfriendly entrance to the display, and new fencing.
“This is a community event, and we want every group in town to feel welcome to participate,” Cooney said. “So, come out and help celebrate this Livingston tradition with us.”
The Camuso Display will be open through January 1, 2024.
