The Saturday after Thanksgiving marked the 24th annual Winter Holiday Stroll in downtown Nashua. It's not only the city's biggest holiday event, but it's regarded as the largest community event of the year in Southern NH. It now attracts up to 30,000 people who travel from across New England for this free and family-friendly seasonal event.
Downtown Main St. was closed to traffic and became a pedestrian mall for several hours. The festivities began at 5 p.m. with a candlelit procession led by Santa Claus up Main Street from City Hall to Railroad Square for the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree. Santa traveled in an antique fire truck and everyone followed holding candles or LED lights.
After the tree lighting ceremony, Main St was crowded with people enjoying live entertainment. Many of the local businesses, churches hosted music venues as did the public library.
Food vendors were set up along the street and downtown restaurants were open although there were usually long waits for seating.
A gingerbread house display at a local church attracted a long line of viewers, including myself. Most of the houses were created by younger members of the congregation.
A popular stroll highlight every year are the ice sculptures created and displayed in front of City Hall. However, due to an unseasonably warm evening, these were melting quickly.
Another tradition is what's known as the Festival of Trees which features trees decorated by local community groups and schools. Attendees can cast votes vfor their favorite.
The trees are displayed in the Hunt Memorial Building, which was once the city's public library.
We attended the stroll this year but traveled separately, except when we met up for some pizza. I went with several neighbors and Grenville volunteered with Nashua's Community Emergency Response Team to monitor traffic and people throughout the evening.
The city's Public Works department certainly had enough to keep them busy after the festivities ended around 10 p.m.
15 comments:
Quite an event! It has it all: crowds, ceremonies, music, tradition, religion, food, display of house/trees etc..
Lively and attractive!
Wow. I can see why it attracts so many. Great pictures.
Looks like fun!
BTW, it was so GREAT to see you all again!
This looks like a fun way to kick off the Christmas season!
festive and PHUN, and a Santa hat to keep the head warm. you know I like the ice sculptures best of all.
That was wonderful! So many fun things to see and a great way to get everyone in the mood for Christmas. -Jenn
There was so much to see. I don't know how you managed to take it all in.
What an event! The ice sculptures are my favourite.
That would be a wonderful winter celebration to be involved with. I can see it is well attended. Fun nutcracker guy.
I like the ice sculptures. They have always fascinated me. It sounds as though you had a great day out.
Wow that sounds Marvelous Event my friend!
loved the different interesting pics you shared here .
thank you for taking us along my friend!
30,000 people at one place ? this is quite huge crowed to be with .
so much fun and nice food what else one needs to be grateful
It looks like a great event in a great community.
I didn't know Nashua had this big festival. It looks really cool and festive! What a great way to kick off the holiday season.
Everything looks beautiful and festive. Such a fun celebration!
That sounds perfectly lovely - I read this post earlier this week and the one below about the house being sold. I must have gotten interrupted - I see I didn't comment. I hope all goes well with the house - it's bittersweet, cleaning a house out.
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