Holiday Jam with Rolie Polie Guacamole at Gumbo

Join Frank and Andrew of Rolie Polie Guacamole, in a Jingle Bell Holiday Jam.  Sing and dance to some of their all-time favorite original tunes and Holiday favorites too!
493 Atlantic Avenue  (718) 855-7808
Saturday, Dec. 18, 11:30 – 12:15
$18/child, siblings $2, adults free. Call to reserve.

Champagne in the Afternoon

Kimera and Iris Lingerie
366 Atlantic Avenue
Special champagne toast for all. Open from 12 – 5 PM

New Year’s Day.

Cats, Kittens, Dogs, Puppies: Looking for Love This Holiday Season!

On Sunday, December 19, noon to 6 p.m, In Our Hands Rescue is teaming up with North Shore Animal League to bring holiday cheer to homeless pets. All pets are rescued and need loving families.  All vetted and fixed.

In Our Hands Rescue will require an application, contract, I.D., and donation.  You’ll take your new friend home the same day! Look for the NSAL Van outside Gumbo! 493 Atlantic Avenue.

After a  jubilant and rosy appearance by Santa, New York City Councilmember Stephen Levin was joined by New York State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywomen Joan Millman in lighting a 14′ tree and a menorah. The audience was enthralled by the singing of P.S. 261, the exuberant dancing by members of the Brooklyn Ballet and music by the children’s group Rolie Polie Guacamole.

Delicious treats were provided by Atlantic Avenue merchants.Click to view slideshow.

Children’s book illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg, filmmaker Nicholas Entel, YWCA Executive Director Martha Kamber, Brooklyn Ballet Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson and advertising executive Frank Cusack all kept notes on the windows as they walked from Fourth Avenue to Hicks Street.

They escaped the cold into Pete’s Waterfront Ale House for much needed libations and intense deliberations. After much enthusiastic discussion the judges came up with three winners, a best “New Store Winner” and a new category, “Best Block!”

The winners of the “Celebrate the World on Atlantic Avenue”

#1 – Home and Abroad, 487 Atlantic Avenue

#2 – Dig, 479 Atlantic Avenue

# 3 – Gumbo, 493 Atlantic Avenue

Best New Store Window – Nest Egg Kids – 111 Atlantic Avenue

Nest Egg Kids

Best Block – Atlantic Avenue Between Bond & Hoyt

Module R
B Moore Designs

Downtown Atlantic

Bright Lynes
Food Shed
Opalia
Sterling Place
Jonathan Adler
Michelle New York
Circa Antiques

Kimera

Kimera
Downtown Atlantic
Legacy

Thursdays:

Moxie Spot, 81 Atlantic Avenue. Free wine/beer or dessert with proof of an Atlantic Avenue gift purchase of $20 or more
Goose Barnacle: 91 Atlantic Avenue.  Open late
Paper Doll Boutique: 104 Bond Street (off Atlantic Avenue) Open until 9pm

Floral Heights: 107 Atlantic Avenue. Open until 9pm
Chip Shop: 129 Atlantic Avenue. Will offer a special promotion
Fusions Design: 140 Atlantic. Open until 9pm
Waterfalls Cafe: 144 Atlantic Avenue
Mini Max Toys and Cuts: 152 Atlantic Avenue. Open late

Make a Frame:  180 Atlantic Avenue.  Open late
Sahadi Fine Foods: 191 Atlantic Avenue. Will offer book signings on Thursday, December 9 from 6-8 (The New Brooklyn Cookbook by Melissa and Brendan Vaughn) and Thursday, December 16 from 6-8 (A Taste of Syria by Virginia Jerro Gerbino & Phillip M. Kayal)  Meet the authors and enjoy wine and cheese

Chocolate Truffle Basket only 19.95 at Sahadi's Fine Foods

The Brazenhead: 228 Atlantic Avenue.  Will offer a special promotion
Brooklyn Industries: 100 Smith Street off Atlantic.  Open until 9pm
Callalilai: 296 Atlantic Avenue.  Will offer 10% off every Thursday and the 3 days leading up to Christmas as well as black Friday

The Soul Spot: 302 Atlantic Avenue. Will offer 10% off every Thursday
Nicky’s Vietnamese: 311 Atlantic Avenue. Will offer specials

Silk Road Antiques:  313 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open 8:30
Zoe Papers: 315 Atlantic Avenue . Will stay open until 8:00
Jolie Restaurant: 320 Atlantic Avenue. Will have a dinner special
Acorn Toy Shop: 323 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open until 8:00
Maleeka: 327 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open late and offer 10% discount on all items
GRDN: 103 Hoyt Street (near Atlantic Avenue) Open until 9pm

Hand silk screened print at Make a Frame

Steven Alan: 349 Atlantic Avenue . Will stay open to 8:00. Will be serving hot cider to all the shoppers who need to warm up
Donna da vine Wine and Provisions: 355 Atlantic. Will be open late
Sterling Place Gifts: 363 Atlantic Avenue. Will be open late
Downtown Atlantic: 364 Atlantic Avenue. Free dessert with purchase of entree
Kimera: 366 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open until 8 p.m.
Circa: 374 Atlantic Avenue.  Will be open late
Jonathan Adler: 378 Atlantic  Avenue. Will be open late
Kaight Boutique: 382 Atlantic Avenue.  Will be open late
Hope Veterinary Services: 390 Atlantic Avenue.  Doing a special pet photo portrait evening at the clinic with refreshments on two Fridays in December, the 10th and the 17th
Cutie Kid: 103 Bond at Atlantic Avenue.  Will be open late and offering a discount one day a week Thursday and the three days leading up to December 25th

Mini Max Toys features the Bamboo Sunshine Dollhouse. Slick modern design and actual solar powered appliances

Bacchus Bistro: 409 Atlantic Avenue. Will offer a 10% off customer’s bill everydayl
Blue Ribbon General Store: 365 State Street near Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open until 8

Evolution, The Green Room Spa: 442 Atlantic Avenue. Will offer Holiday Special
Kea Carpets and Kilims 477 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open late
Garden Dig: 479 Atlantic Avenue. Will be open late
Go Green: 485 Atlantic Avenue. Will be open late

Home & Abroad: 487 Atlantic Avenue. Will be open late
Melting Pot: 492 Atlantic Avenue. Will be open late
Gumbo: 493 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open late
Flying Saucer Cafe: 494 Atlantic Avenue. Will stay open and offer special.
Sanctuary Salon: 527 Atlantic Avenue.  Will be open late and offer promotions
NuNu Chocolates: 529 Atlantic Avenue.  Will be open late.
Linger Cafe: 533 Atlantic Avenue. Will be open late
Midtown Florist and Greenhouse: 126 Flatbush near Atlantic. Will be open late
B’klyn Eye Boutique: 572 Atlantic Avenue.  Will be open late

Fridays:

Hope Veterinary Services: 390 Atlantic Avenue.  Doing a special pet photo portrait evening at the clinic with refreshments on two Fridays in December, the 10th and the 17th

The Annual Atlantic Avenue Holiday Window Design Competition is based on artistic merchandising and creative window display with a global twist this year. Awards, in various categories, are given to merchants for their aesthetic contribution to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Boerum Hill. To qualify, competitors must have their window designs installed by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, when the panel of judges will walk along the Avenue to view and judge individual store windows.

The Judges

Nicolas Entel is an Argentine-born Brooklyn-based filmmaker. His latest documentary “Sins of My Father” premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and has been acquired for distribution in over 50 countries, including the U.S., where it’s currently airing on HBO. Previously, Nicolas directed the multiple award-winning documentary “Orquesta Típica” (2006).  Nicolas is the recipient of NALIP’s 2010 Estela Award. He is also the founder of Red Creek Productions.

Lynn Parkerson, Artistic Director of Brooklyn Ballet, has danced with the Boston and Chicago Ballets. In New York City, she was a trainee at the Harkness House for Ballet Arts and studied technique and repertory at the Merce Cunningham School. In addition, she trained in the Limón Technique with Libby Nye and ballet with the Corvinos. Her choreography has been presented at many prominent international events and venues, including the Munich Theater Festival, Frankfurt’s Theatre am Turm, the Florence International Festival of Dance, Moers New Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival Baden-Baden and An Appalachian Summer Arts Festival in Boone, NC. In New York City, she presented annual dance programs as Director of Dance at Holy Trinity from 1991-2001. She also served as the Assistant Director of the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center from 1996-1999. In recognition of her exceptional leadership contributions to Brooklyn’s cultural community, Ms. Parkerson received the Betty Smith Arts Award in 2007 and in the Paul Robeson Award for Artistic Excellence and Community Service in 2006.

Martha Kamber, Executive Director of the YWCA of Brooklyn, recently completed an ambitious $26 million construction project, which included the creation of over 300 units of housing for low-income and homeless women, and a new community center dedicated to social justice initiatives. With over thirty years of social justice and nonprofit management experience, Martha has worked extensively in the areas of advocacy, public health, education, and community development.  She also serves on the Board of Directors of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and has won numerous awards for her dedicated service including Outstanding Practitioner of the Year, Extraordinary Woman of the Year, and the Inspiring Women Award.

Melanie Hope Greenberg began her professional illustration career in 1981 designing greeting cards for UNICEF.  Her unique art style was then published on games, wrapping paper, coffee mugs and posters.    She has since illustrated 16 children’s picture books; six of them she wrote. Her illustrations are also published by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Melanie also travels throughout the United States presenting author-illustrator workshops for elementary students, as well as hopeful and published artists and children’s writers, teachers, librarians and educators.

Frank Cusack, SVP, Associate Creative Director, Centron, began his advertising career in the consumer arena where he worked on accounts for a wide range of blue chip clients, including ABC Television, JC Penney, and Exxon.  From there he honed his advertising and managerial skills concentrating on business-to-business advertising, and has spent the last 14 years in pharmaceutical advertising for a range of clients.  His passion is photography and has a BFA from Pratt Institute.