Holiday HFD Open House/ Tree Lighting / Popcorn Ball Fun
Submitted by Karl Schweitzer, Class of 1981
As noted in some earlier articles, Hicksville has been our home for many years. It was a place where the middle class made their home. The population boom of the 1950s doubled, then tripled Hicksville's population. The sense of community grew in popularity during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Community Christmas Tree Lighting
The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony began in Hicksville in 1948. The local Rotary Club used the triangular piece of land where West John Street, Broadway, and Jerusalem Avenue intersect. The Rotary Club would cut down a local tree and erect it in the area. The area is still used today and is now known as Kennedy Park.
Intersection of West John, Broadway, and Jerusalem. Kennedy Park is the triangular piece of land. 
Kennedy Park from Google EarthThe Hicksville community held its first public arrival of Santa Claus with a parade through the business section and candy distribution to the children. The first noted Santa Claus was Mid Island Herald's Editor, Fred Noeth. The Businessmen’s Association, later the Chamber of Commerce, started it all. Each year, students from the high school provided the music as Santa rolled up Broadway and took up his station in front of either the Long Island National Bank or the Bank of Hicksville. Children lined up in all directions for hours to greet Santa, who distributed candy gift boxes, assisted by local businessmen. MacPherson Chevrolet was one of the first businesses to support the effort and provided the vehicle. The Police Boys Club also led the arrangements and assisted with the gift distribution.
The Rotary Club, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, were sponsors of the community Christmas tree at the Broadway Railroad crossing at the corner of the parking field by Jerusalem Avenue and the Railroad Depot. The Rotarians sponsored contests for youngsters to guess the number of lights displayed and the footage of electric wire used on the tree. The community lights along Broadway were strung across the road the day after Thanksgiving and the public tree lighting took place the first Saturday in December. There would also be a full schedule of carol singing by local youngsters. The retail division of the Chamber of Commerce employed a full-time professional for the two weeks before Christmas. The professional took up his station in a little house next to the Community Tree at the Railroad crossing and was available daily to hear children express their heart'sdesire.
In 1956, a Santa Float with eight live Alaskan reindeerhitched to Santa’s sled wasmounted on a motorized trailer. It was paraded through the community at the start of the Christmas shopping season at Mid Island Plaza. The parade route ended at Mid Island Plaza with a colorful climax: the lighting of a 75-foot Douglas Fir and scores of smaller trees set in planter boxes along the mall. Carols were sung against a background of unique yuletide decor in the center. After Santa had been officially installed at Gertz, the team of eight reindeer was placed on exhibit for everyone to see. As part of the month-long event, the plazawelcomed local families by exhibiting a menagerie of live animals, including deer, lambs, and donkeys.
Before Mid Island Plaza was enclosed, the area under the metal arch was used to suspend a large, lit multi-color star. The star would
be illuminated each Christmas season, and the large tree, dubbed “Christmas Around the World,” was placed directly under the star. The Plaza celebrated the Christmas season each year with Santa’s arrival by fire truck or helicopter. Today, they have a huge area within the mall designated just for Santa.
In 1960 four men wearing winter attire have a rope tied around an evergreen tree and are hoisting it from the back of a flatbed truck. They are shown lifting the tree into a hole that was dug at the triangle located on Jerusalem Avenue and Broadway. This evergreen was the town's community Christmas tree. Sometime between 1965 and 1996, the community tree lighting was stopped, and it was not restarted as part of the holiday season at Kennedy Park until 1996.
Fire Department’s Popcorn Ball Day
In October 1938, Fire Chief Harry Borley and Commissioner John Werthessen held the first community fire prevention observance. The event morphed into an annual event that lasted 11 years. The fire department’s Fire Prevention Open House festivities were changed in 1961 under Chief Walter Werthessen. The attendance and awareness during the department's observance in October dropped off severely, prompting fire officials to establish a plan to heighten the forgotten observance. In 1965, the fire department brought up the idea of moving the annual Open House festivities from the month of October to December. It would be in conjunction with the holiday season.
The annual Open House would occur on the first Sunday of December, including fire prevention demonstrations. With their parents in tow, the children walked through the fire station. Once upstairs, the children visited displays and were allowed to see Santa Claus and receive toys and trinkets, with informational messages about fire prevention on each item. Over the years, our members, Bill Biggs, Joe Giardina, Joe DiFronzo, Harry Single, Shane Stevens, and many more, have helped in the event as a “Stand In Santa.”
The promotional idea to heighten awareness of the fire department's Annual Open House would include each of the eight fire companies on the last Sunday in November to board their apparatus with Santa Claus and distribute popcorn balls to waiting children in the community. The advent of “Popcorn Ball Day” took its roots and has continued for 53 years in rain, snow, sleet, or shine.
In 1987, there was a change in tradition, from popcorn balls to lollipops. While it was a good try, the distribution of lollipops thrown from fire trucks by firefighters had problems. The wind would stop the lollipops from hitting their targets. The lollipops would hit the ground and the candy would crack. That idea was never tried again.
In 1990, the Annual Popcorn Ball Day had an incident with fire officials pondering this annual event's future. Firefighters, as usual, distributed popcorn balls on the Sunday before Open House. Later that evening, reports were coming into Fire Headquarters that the possibility of glass-tainted popcorn may have been distributed. State and local agencies investigating these reports found what appeared to be glass fragments in one of 12,000 popcorn balls. The police investigated the incident, including working with the distributor of the popcorn. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
1981 Members of Emergency Company 5 1981 Members of Emergency Company 5: George Howard, Frank Sala, Jim McLaughlin, John Keyer, Charley Hearon, Steve Urso, Jim Nicollet, Joe Russo, Robbie Warren and Pete McLoughlin. Jerry Nolan is standing on the truck, and Santa’s helper is Karl Schweitzer.
As mentioned, this has become a holiday tradition. On the last Sunday morning in November, the phones will ring off the hook, asking when and where Santa is within the community. I have had the opportunity and privilege to be a helping Santa “Stand In” while on Unit 935 for over 40 years.
Santa on the fire truck 
Here Comes Santa Claus!Kennedy Park Shines Again
Hicksville/Jericho Rotary ClubIn 1996, the Hicksville Fire Department teamed up with the Hicksville/Jericho Rotary Club to bring back the annual Christmas Tree Lighting.
Once again, Kennedy Park would sparkle with community pride. It took over 30 years but has become an annual event. The event includes over twenty donated Christmas trees that are decorated by community organizations. The gazebo located on site is illuminated with holiday lights. The area has two large wooden soldiers and Santa flying in a balloon with his reindeer (donated in 1998 by the Robert Williams Celebration Committee). Each year, the event provides dancing and musical acts from local dance studios.
The highlight of the evening is still the arrival of Santa on a fire truck from the Hicksville Fire Department and the countdown of the lighting of the large fir tree in the center of Kennedy Park. The Park stays open to the public throughout December to welcome in the new year. The Hicksville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary provides complimentary refreshments and locally donated treats.
Thank you to Chuck Coutieri for providing the following pictures of this year's Popcorn Day.
The video is of this year's (2023) Popcorn Day posted by Robert Karman in the Facebook group You Know You're from Hicksville, NY if.
