TURNERS FALLS — With red lights flashing, a Turners Falls fire engine pulled up to Spinner Park Friday night to deliver a very special visitor.
A crowd of children gathered around to greet him while their parents and guardians snapped photos. Peeping out from behind foggy glasses, he passed out candy canes and took gift requests.
Past a nearby hot chocolate booth operated by the Montague Business Association, more children stepped up to a red and white mailbox, sliding in letters until they were piled high. Only once all the children had disbursed did Santa, accompanied by his two elves, collect the letters and continue on his way, popping into business after business on Avenue A.
Santa’s arrival was one of the many features of “It’s a Wonderful Night in Turners Falls,” a townwide event to encourage family entertainment and holiday shopping on Friday and Saturday.
“It feels like Halloween, but Christmasy, where everyone is out doing things,” said Kaitlin Williams, who attended the event with her friend and fellow Turners Falls resident Kirsty Yetter, as well as Yetter’s children, Lasky Jacobs, 3, and Tal Jacobs, 7 months.
Williams, who moved to Turners Falls this year, said the four had a full day: making bird feeders at the Great Falls Discovery Center, doing art activities at The Brick House, getting a balloon at LOOT and eating gingerbread cookies at Great Falls Yoga. Lasky, Yetter said, also submitted his letter to Santa, asking for a PJ Masks toy.
“It’s been really fun. It’s cool everyone opens their doors,” Williams said.
“It brings some festive energy into town,” agreed Holly Givens, administrative coordinator with the Montague Business Association, as she handed out hot chocolate and marshmallows. “It also helps just remind people that there are businesses here doing holiday things.”
Eli Marshall and Erin Scanlon of Turners Falls visited several stores before stopping at Spinner Park so they and their daughter, Regan Marshall, could have some of “the best hot chocolate in town,” Scanlon said. It was the family’s second year attending “It’s a Wonderful Night in Turners Falls.”
Scanlon hoped to see more people join in the festivities in future years and proposed businesses offer discounts during the event to encourage traffic through the community.
“If every store said they’d be 10 percent off, that’d be way cool,” she said.
Festivities continue Saturday. Children can make bird feeders at the Great Falls Discovery Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Later in the afternoon, Awesome Art in Motion will perform an impromptu dance performance before a family dance party at the Shea Theater Arts Center, followed by a screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at 3 p.m.
Eggtooth Productions will end the weekend’s festivities with a second performance of “New Vaudeville Holiday Spectacular” at 7:30 p.m. A full schedule of events can be found at turnersfallsriverculture.org.
Reach Shelby Ashline at: sashline@recorder.com
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