Holiday Shopping Guide: Westbury welcomes all

Westbury’s holiday season sparkles anew this year with lights, wreaths and decorated storefronts spanning downtown. Kwanzaa and tree lighting events and Nativity displays will brighten Post Avenue, the bustling main street of one of Long Island’s most diverse communities.

“Westbury is a diverse and active community, and that is never more so than during and around the holidays,” Mayor Peter I. Cavallaro said of the village, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Founded by Quaker settlers, Westbury has been enriched over the centuries by African Americans, European immigrants and, most recently, Latin American and Caribbean migrants, according to villageofwestbury.org.

“There is a great sense of community and togetherness this time of year,” he said.

Holiday gifts and party supplies reflect the community’s multicultural mix at Dulcemania (153C Post Ave., 516-385-8002, mangonadas dulcemania.com), a shop owned and operated by Gabriela and Jose Monsurez that specializes in Mexican sweets and gifts.

“We’re getting a new delivery of molcajetes from Puebla, Mexico,” Jose said, referring to the mortar and pestle for making guacamole. The shop is also known for Santa Claus, snowman and Christmas tree piñatas, which can be filled to bursting with the sweet and spicy candies from Dulcemania’s shelves. Shoppers can pick up imported clay coffee cups, tequila shot sets and piggy banks based on the popular Spanish-language TV characters La Chilindrina and Quico.

For the holidays, the Piazza Ernesto Strada, a redbrick square with benches at Post and Maple avenues, will be decorated with white lights wrapped around poles and along its perimeter, and festive music will play from speakers, said Vanessa Esposito, executive director of Westbury Business Improvement District. “We work with Westbury Arts to have store windows painted by artists,” she said.

From Black Friday and Small Business Saturday through New Year’s Eve, discount coupons for area stores will be available at Village Hall, The Westbury Senior Citizen Center and Westbury Memorial Public Library, Esposito said.

Post Avenue “is a very walkable part of Westbury,” said Micki Houston, who owns Flowers by Micki (178 Post Ave., 516-416-4348, flowersbymicki .com.) Inside the compact, busy shop Houston opened two years ago, bouquets are crafted with flowers from local and international markets, including Holland. Shoppers can also scoop up candles, chocolates and decorative flags of the United States, Ireland, Italy and Latin American nations.

Got a first-responder on your list? The shop carries wall hangings and tabletop gifts for firefighters and law enforcement officers.

The village’s annual holiday tree lighting (with a Santa visit, of course) is planned for 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Village Recreation Building (348 Post Ave.). A Kwanzaa program featuring drumming, speakers on the festival’s seven principles and crafts will be Dec. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Westbury Arts (255 Schenck Ave, 516-400-2787, westburyarts.org). And Temple Beth Torah in Westbury celebrates Hanukkah on Dec. 19 with an evening of comedy, holiday-themed cocktails and latke snacks. RSVP to admin@
templebethtorahli.org (243 Cantiague Rock Rd., 516-334-7979, templebeth
torahli.org).

If you’re looking for traditional Christmas displays, you can find Nativity setsat St. Brigid Catholic Church (85 Post Ave., 516-334-0021, saintbrigid.net). Such “seasonal enhancements make for a very homey kind of street with a holiday spirit you want to travel through,” said longtime Westbury resident John Bush, 73, who is known as Jay. For the 32nd year, Bush and other parishioners have set up a 65-foot-long Presepio, or Nativity scene, in the church’s north transept that features miniatures of St. Brigid, an Italian village and a crèche. The exhibit is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily from Nov. 26 to Jan. 13.

Religious diversity is on tap at Botanica La Luz & Gift Shop (146 Post Ave., 516-334-0146). Owner Dora Carmina Pacheco said the devotional items for sale include rosaries, Nativity sets and statues for followers of Buddhism, Christianity and Santería, an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba. “We are a religious store for any religion,” Pacheco said.

And there’s more:

Hicks Nurseries (100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury, 516-334-0066, hicksnurseries .com). The plant nursery founded in 1853 sells live and artificial Christmas trees, ornaments, holiday lights and other decorations. Holiday events include free photo sessions with Santa from Nov. 25 to Dec. 23.

Wheatley Hills Discount Wine & Spirits (193 Post Ave., Westbury, 516-333-1110, wheatleywineandspirits.com). Pick up a Jack Daniel’s or Grey Goose gift set or customize your holiday cheer at this old-fashioned liquor stop. “You pick the wine, bring the chocolates and we make a basket up for you,” said manager Nelson Salmeron.

My Unique Thrift (525 Old Country Rd., Westbury, 516-338-1760, myunique .com. Want to upcycle? Browse for bargains on gently used designer and vintage clothing, shoes, furniture, home décor, classic DVDs and books in a brimming space just off Post Avenue.

Dakota’s Boutique (251 Post Ave., Suite 2B, 516-236-0742, facebook.com/dakotas boutiqueny). Cathy Pappalardo of Rockville Centre opened this shop three years ago in a shared second-floor workspace on Post Avenue. Call ahead or text for an appointment to browse women’s clothing, fine jewelry, accessories, soy candles and more.