It is that time of year again. Thanksgiving has officially kicked off the holiday season. Decorations are starting to adorn homes around town and we are all trying to get ahead of our holiday shopping. Of course, the biggest sign that the holidays are upon us is the eagerly anticipated return of Livingston’s Camuso Display, which will be lit up for the season each night at the Oval starting this Saturday, December 7. There is no fee to enter the display.
For those who are not familiar with the Camuso Holiday Display (and if you have spent a December in Livingston – or read a recent edition of the Tribune – how could you not be?), the spectacular figures were created by the late Ernest Camuso, a toymaker and machinist by trade, and displayed annually on the front lawn of his Burnet Hill Road home. The display grew larger and more elaborate every year, and served (and still does) as a fundraiser for the Saint Barnabas Burn Unit.
When he passed away, the Camuso family was unable to continue his legacy. Then-Council member Steve Santola met with the family and suggested that they donate all of the nonreligious figures to the township. As a result, a new tradition was born. Each year, the exhibit expands, but still includes a piece of the Camuso legacy in one scene that recreates the front door of the family’s landmark home.
To prepare the display, some of Livingston’s dedicated residents (Camuso’s “elves”) take time out of their busy schedules to create a winter wonderland for all at the Oval. The amount of work that goes into maintaining the 50-plus-year-old figures, providing the electrical connections for the lights and figures, and decorating the scenes is a massive undertaking that takes months of hard work. Surely, anyone who has been at the Oval in the past month has seen the elves constructing the display. We all owe a debt of gratitude to these volunteers for bringing joy to our town.
Over the years, additional holiday-themed events at the display have been added to the calendar. This year, holiday ornaments will be available for purchase as part of a fundraiser. Purchasers’ names will be painted on the decorations, and they will be placed around the display. They will be given to the donors when the display is taken down. A fee will be charged for each one, and proceeds will go toward the restoration, repair, and upkeep of the display.
Returning special events of the display include a Gingerbread House; an “Elf on the Shelf” hidden within the display, his location changing each night; the trackless train; a choir quartet in the gazebo; a bouncy house; hot chocolate; and more.
The opening night lighting ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday with the lights turned on by 7 p.m. Opening night will also include a dance performance by the Livingston Starliners Dance Team and more.
On Friday, December 13, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., there will be a visit by Santa for children with special needs and their families, coordinated by the Livingston Advisory Committee for Disabilities.
Livingston UNICO will then sponsor a meet-and-greet with Santa and his elf on Saturday, December 14, at 6:30 p.m.
First Responders’Night will be held the following Saturday, December 21. At 7 p.m., the Livingston Fire Department and First Aid Squad will host a craft project, open to all children in attendance. Santa will make a second appearance that evening, and hot chocolate will be provided to help celebrate the holiday season. There will also be Clydesdale horses, wagon rides for families, a petting zoo, and pony rides.
The Chanukah menorah lighting, led by Rabbi Simeon Cohen of Temple Beth Shalom, will be held on Thursday, December 26.
So, please, check out the Camuso Display and consider making a donation to the Burn Unit or purchasing an ornament when you do. The display will be open on Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. through New Year’s Day.
Taking a walk around the display is a Livingston tradition unlike any other, and, truly, one of the events that make this town so special. You will not want to miss it!
