There is a ton of holiday-themed stuff going on in the Tri-Town area – from Santa sightings to performances, fairs, tree lightings, and other community events.
We have compiled one great go-to list of all the Christmas season events so that our readers can plan ahead for December and make sure all Tri-Town kids get a chance to see Santa and tell him what they most wish to find under the Christmas tree this year.
The biggest events are, by far, the town-sponsored ones in each of the three towns: the Rochester Tree Lighting, the Mattapoisett Holiday in the Park, and the Marion Christmas Stroll.
Rochester will lead us into the holiday season with the annual tree lighting in front of Town Hall on Monday, December 5, beginning at 6:30 pm. Santa Claus will ride in atop Rochester’s shiniest fire engine and greet all the kids before the tree lights are turned on and refreshments of cider and cookies are served in the meeting room inside town hall. The Rochester Memorial School Chorus and band will also perform Christmas songs to muster up the Christmas spirit nice and early in December.
The Mattapoisett Holiday in the Park follows on Saturday, December 10, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at Shipyard Park on Water Street. You’ll want to watch out for a whole host of Christmas characters wandering around the park, including Santa and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The tree lighting is at dusk, and event-goers will also enjoy refreshments, crafts, and holiday music.
The annual Marion Christmas Stroll is Sunday, December 11, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm in the village, with Santa ushering in the big event from the Town Wharf, coming in from the North Pole on his motor boat. From there, he will proceed down Front Street aboard his horse-drawn carriage.
During the event, the Sippican Woman’s Club will welcome visitors into “Handy’s Tavern” at the clubhouse at 152 Front Street, serving hot apple cider.
As for Santa sightings, kids in Marion can get in line this Sunday, December 4, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and have pizza with Santa at the Marion Music Hall, sponsored by the Marion Police Brotherhood. The Marion Police Brotherhood will be accepting donations of new unwrapped presents for The Justice Resources Institute, a local nonprofit that provides intensive foster care and adoption programs for area children.
On Sunday, December 12, Santa will be at the Rochester Council on Aging Senior Center at 67 Dexter Lane for the annual Pancakes with Santa from 8:00 – 11:00 am.
As of press time, the Rochester Post Office had not scheduled any visits from Santa as they have in the past, and the Mattapoisett Knights of Columbus had not yet returned our call requesting the event information, but once we find out we will post it to our Facebook page, so be sure to ‘Like’ The Wanderer on Facebook to stay up-to-date on Tri-Town news and events.
There are always plenty of Christmas fairs that pop up around this time of year, and the bulk of them are on Saturday, December 3. The Mattapoisett Congregational Church’s annual Holiday Fair starts at 9:00 am and finishes at 12:00 pm. The church boasts “a host of holiday ‘shops’” this year at Reynaud Hall at 27 Church Street. You’ll encounter handmade gifts such as knitted items, jewelry, chinaware, as well as other “never-been-used” gifts and decorations.
“Make your list and check it twice,” says the church. “Get all your holiday shopping done in one day and enjoy this most beautiful season amidst a quaint, seaside village.”
Also on December 3, the Friends of the Plumb Library Holiday Fair will happen from 10:00 am till 3:00 pm at the library located at 17 Constitution Way in the center of Rochester.
The event features a silent auction, gift baskets, handmade items and goodies, and local business gift certificates. Santa will even stop by for a spell at some point in the day.
The Saint Anthony’s and Saint Rita’s Church annual Christmas Fair by the Sea is on Saturday, December 3, as well with doors to the Church Hall at 22 Barstow Street in Mattapoisett opening at 9:00 am.
There are a couple of holiday lunches slated for the season in Marion on Saturday, December 10. A Holiday Luncheon and Cookie Walk at the First Congregational Church of Marion will take place from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm located at 144 Front Street. Hot chicken salad with cranberry gelatin salad, along with homemade bread and cheesecake, is on the menu for $11, with tickets available at the door. New this year is the Cookie Walk, which features local bakers offering their best holiday cookies. You get to fill a box with a dozen cookies for $10.
Also in Marion on Saturday, December 10, is the Sippican Woman’s Club Holiday House Tour and Tea from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The house tour to five different Marion homes decorated for the holidays, along with tea served afterwards at the clubhouse, is available to ticketholders for $20 pre-purchased at various local shops or $25 the day of the tour that starts at 152 Front Street.
There are also a number of Christmas and holiday concerts and performances, beginning with the Sippican Choral Society Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 4 at 4:00 pm at Wickenden Chapel at Tabor Academy. Tickets are $15, $10 ages 13-17, $7 for ages 6-12, and free for ages 5 and under, available at the door. The SouthCoast Children’s Chorus will join in the performance too, and works performed include those of Pergolesi, Vaughn Williams, and Rutter and Lauridsen with orchestral accompaniment.
The Occasion Singers will perform a holiday concert on Friday, December 16 at 7:30 pm at the Marion Art Center, 80 Pleasant Street. Tickets are $15 for MAC members, $18 for non-members. The MAC Holiday Shop will be open as well, offering holiday gifts including paintings, ceramics, and jewelry.
The Wanderer calendar of events is updated often throughout the week, so visit www.wanderer.com for later events that could pop up in the season. And if you attend any of these events, be sure to smile for the camera and read The Wanderer – you might be in it! Happy Holidays everybody!
By Jean Perry