TURNERS FALLS — Children jumped up and down with excitement as the lights from a Turners Falls fire truck reflected off the exterior of downtown buildings and sirens wailed, signaling Santa was coming to Spinner Park.
Santa made his annual visit to Turners Falls ahead of Christmas as part of “It’s a Wonderful Night in Turners Falls” on Friday. Town Cultural Coordinator Suzanne LoManto said the event, which has been held since 2011, is always the final event of the year put on by RiverCulture.
“Any time you have an outdoor event in December in New England, the weather could be anything,” LoManto said of the rain and cold. “However, the businesses look beautiful and there are tons of really unique things about Turners Falls.”
Friday saw the town bustling with holiday cheer as families hopped between local businesses, with some shops holding extended hours for the festivities. Several shops hosted small activities or featured special evening sales. Other features included art exhibits, live music and restaurant specials.
It was around 6:30 p.m. when children and their parents lined up at Spinner Park to speak with Santa as he hopped off the fire truck to the tune of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” performed on trumpet and tuba for the eighth year in a row by Jason Mosall and Kevin “Tuba Love” Smith, respectively.
Briana Graffius and her daughter, Lilith, 5, of Turners Falls, waited patiently for their turn to meet Santa. Lilith nodded excitedly when asked if she was ready to meet Santa, though she said she hadn’t sent her wish list letter yet.
“We live right across the street and actually heard the fire truck,” Graffius said. “She looked out the window and we saw Santa, so we came right over.”
Santa stopped by to collect the wish lists that had been dropped in the Magic Mailbox. Attendees were also able to scoop up a cup of hot cocoa from Montague Business Association volunteer Holly Givens.
Holiday celebrations in the village will continue throughout next week with the “Open Door Promo” business promotion. Participating businesses give out stickers that players can collect on a ticket, with no purchase necessary.
Tickets can be picked up at LOOT (62 Avenue A) and Black Cow Burger Bar (127 Avenue A). Once a shopper has collected 12 stickers, they can enter a raffle for a $150 gift card that is applicable to any of the 25 participating local businesses. Completed tickets are to be turned in to either of those businesses before Dec. 21 to enter the raffle.
“The best thing about it is the pool of money comes from businesses and it stays in town,” LoManto said ahead of the weekend.
Participating businesses include:
■Great Falls Discovery Center
■FAB Fashion
■Gary’s Coins and Antiques
■LOOT
■Nova Motorcycles
■Basically Bicycle
■The Rendezvous
■Great Falls Harvest Restaurant
■Pipione’s Sport Shop
■Charon Art Tattoo
■Mariachi Shoe Repair
■Second Street Baking Co.
■Black Cow Burger Bar
■Nina’s Nook
■Kharma Hair Salon
■About Face Computers
■Great Falls Yoga
■Tangible Bliss
■Great Falls Gift Mart
■Mystic Pinball
■Two Birds
■The Upper Bend
■Buckingham Rabbits Vintage
■Local Yoga Joint
■Replay Music Gear
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 264.