Hundreds of Park Slope boutiques and restaurants kicked off the winter holidays on Saturday with music, morsels, and — as the season would dictate — many chances to shop.
Carolers, puppeteers, and jugglers joined Santa Claus in a parade down 30 blocks of Fifth Avenue for the Festive Fifth holiday bash that coincided with Small Business Saturday. Slopers also flocked to the massive, annual tree lighting ceremony on Fifth Avenue and Third Street, which happened earlier than usual this year to mark the mom-and-pop shopping celebration, according to organizers with the Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District.
“We thought it would be a good opportunity since Small Business Saturday is about small businesses and the district has about 500 of them,” said Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District spokesman Mark Caserta. “It’s the perfect launch point for the holiday season.”
Caserta said that stores on Fifth Avenue will be open late on Dec. 7, 14, and 21. The promotion is meant to highlight Park Slope boutiques that normally do not stay open past 7 pm. Most shops will stay open until 9 pm as the festival continues, and Santa will be back, too, he said.
“We’re kind of creating a holiday atmosphere and asking people to come out and check out what we have to offer,” Caserta said.
