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A holly, jolly Overture to Christmas

Cynthia Prairie | Dec 10, 2013 | Comments 0

Photos and text by Cynthia Prairie

Saturday’s Parade of Packages, part of Chester’s annual Overture to Christmas events, was interrupted when emergency vehicles had to pull out of the procession to respond to a single-car accident in Andover. (There were no injuries reported.)

But that didn’t dampen the day as more than 20 kids dressed a Christmas gifts and elves mounted a nattily adorned haywagon pulled by a tractor driven by Rick Bliss to ride the short route with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Once they arrived at the Green from Chester-Andover Elementary School, it was light the Christmas tree lights then head on over to the Fullerton Inn, where Santa and Mrs. Claus hold their annual meet and greet as local children promise they have been good all year long. Cookies and cocoa were provided by the Fullerton Inn.

Information on next Saturday’s (Dec. 14) Annual Christmas Dinner for Seniors and the town Christmas Party can be found here. Click a photo to launch the gallery.

: ON THE COVER: The Chester Green with gazebo and trees lit and luminaries along Main Street. Above, kids wait patiently, if not a little bouncy, for Santa, Mrs. Claus and the haywagon escort to arrive at Chester-Andover Elementary School on Saturday afternoon.

: Santa arrives to the greetings of a bunch of very gifted children.

: Rick Bliss and his electrified tractor and haywagon carry a slew of packages and elves along with Mr. and Mrs. Claus to the Green.

: At the Green, everyone lines up for the lighting of the Christmas tree.

: Jake Chase holds 4-month-old Lincoln, who looks to be an elf-in-training, as they wait patiently to see Santa at the Fullerton Inn on Saturday.

: Santa listens intently to one child’s Christmas wish.

: One of the many trees filling the Fullerton Inn for Christmas.

: Helping to keep things moving were clockwise from left, head elf Leah Cunningham and her cadre Emeillia, Cameron, Rory and Sarah.

: Mrs. Claus listens intently just in case Santa misses a Christmas wish.

Filed Under: Community and Arts Life • Featured • In the Community

About the Author: Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 30 years. She has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.

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