Glen Cove Gets in the Holiday Spirit, Opens Christmas Tree Farm

There was plenty of holiday cheer Wednesday, Aug. 24 as members of the Glen Cove community attended a pre-holiday gathering to celebrate Glen Cove’s first ever Christmas Tree Farm.

Santa Claus even traveled out of season to make it to the event.

“We had the perfect summer day to break ground on our City’s new Christmas Tree Farm,” Mayor Reggie Spinello said in a press release.

Five trees were planted for the start of Glen Cove’s Christmas Tree Farm. These trees came from the City’s first Merry Tree Festival in 2015 where local businesses sponsored and decorated “living” Christmas trees that had over 25 trees featured.

“Glen Cove’s new tree farm underscores our commitment to sustainability and we hope to harvest our first marque Christmas tree in about 15 to 20 years,” Spinello said.

The celebration kicked off at 11 a.m. at the farm, located at Dennis Brian Murray Park on Leech Circle South.

The idea for Glen Cove’s Christmas Tree Farm was sparked from a conversation with Francine Koehler of the Glen Cove B.I.D.

The Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff members helped prepare the park for the tree planting. Members of the Senior Center, Beautification Commission and public officials like Spinello, Councilwoman Pamela Panzenbeck, Francine Koehler from the Glen Cove Business Improvement District, Glen Cove Parks & Recreation Director Darcy Belyea, Santa (played by Mike DiLeo) and a Merry Tree (played by Megan Peet) were also in attendance.

Photos by Tab Hauser:

• (L to R) Francine Koehler, Santa (Mike DiLeo), Merry Tree (Megan Peet), Darcy Belyea and Mayor Spinello unveil new sign for Glen Cove’s Christmas Tree Farm.
  
• Mayor Spinello joins the Parks & Recreation team in celebrating the ground breaking of Glen Cove’s first Christmas Tree Farm.
  
• Senior Center Member Diane Romano digs in to lend a hand with the first tree planting at Glen Cove’s Christmas Tree Farm.