RED BANK – Red Bank RiverCenter is kicking off the holiday season on Friday, Nov. 23, with the Red Bank Town Lighting and Holiday Express Concert presented by Riverview Medical Center, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Shore Point Distributing Co.
Celebrating its 800th show, Holiday Express will be performing holiday favorites in rock star fashion in concert at 7 p.m. on Broad Street at Canal Street.Broad Street from Peters Place to Monmouth Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 4 to 11 p.m. However, Peters Place will remain open the duration of the event for folks to access the main part of the business district and detour around the concert area to find parking.
Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, NJ Transit has had to cancel the Santa Express train ride this year. But the celebration will continue and children will be able to meet Santa at the Red Bank Train Station for entertainment and to parade with him down Monmouth Street to the Holiday Express Concert.
Starting at 5:30 p.m. at the train station, the Kathryn Barnett School of Dance will be performing some of its fun and festive holiday numbers; music will be by Atlantic Watch.
Santa will arrive by fire truck and parade down Monmouth Street at approximately 6:30 p.m. and then he will light the tree at about 6:45 p.m. and continue to the Holiday Express concert. Events are sponsored by The Galleria Red Bank.
The Red Bank Christmas tree will be located at 30 Monmouth St. in the Dublin House Courtyard.
The Town Lighting will occur during the Holiday Express concert, which begins at 7 p.m.
The festivities continue all month throughout town. Every Saturday starting after Thanksgiving through Dec. 22 from noon to 3 p.m. shoppers can enjoy the sounds of the season with the Holiday Harmonies. Traditional carolers, choirs, brass bands, rock, folk, jazz and blues musicians will bring holiday tunes to the sidewalks of Red Bank.
Classic horse and carriage rides will be available from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, sponsored by Pauline Poyner and Red Bank RiverCenter.
This year, a new event – “We Double Dog Dare You Scavenger Hunt” – will allow participants to visit the 50-plus businesses involved to search for a hidden holiday character inspired by the holiday classic movie A Christmas Story. Shoppers will gather stamps on their hunt for every character they find, and once 15 are collected, they can be entered to win a Red Bank prize package.
The movie theme continues with the return of the popular, window-decorating contest. Businesses have been invited to decorate their windows using any holiday movie they choose. Shoppers can vote online for their favorite windows.
