Uxbridge First Night slated for Saturday
UXBRIDGE – The town’s 20th annual Uxbridge First Holiday Night celebration and Santa Parade takes place Saturday beginning at around 4 p.m. and continuing all evening.
The celebration features holiday activities and events at several mostly downtown locations that are all within walking distance, including Town Hall, Masonic Hall, Senior Center, Uxbridge Public Library and the Town Common, to name a few. Highlights of the night are the Santa Parade at 4:30 p.m. and the annual fireworks at 7:40 p.m.
In 1915, the tradition of lighting the Uxbridge Town Common was established and then expanded in 1997 by the Uxbridge First Holiday Night Committee and the Uxbridge Firefighters Association into an annual town holiday tradition.
The non-profit Uxbridge First Holiday Night Committee operates the Uxbridge First Holiday Night
food truck throughout the year near the Polish American Club and all proceeds pay for the First Holiday Night parade and fireworks.
First Night highlights this year include Fire on the Falls, Capron Park Holiday Stroll, and a trackless train ride at Arthur R. Taft Memorial Park on Mendon Street.
The Blackstone Valley Holiday Carillons will be strolling throughout the downtown area, while the Very Merry Dickens Carolers will be going door-to-door to business and homes.
A Mrs. Claus Raffle and Silent Auction will be held at the fire station. Doors open at 3 p.m. for viewing of items and to purchase tickets. The live raffle drawing and silent auction winners will be announced by Mrs. Claus after the fireworks.
The Masonic Hall will host a performance by the Whitinsville Christian School String Quartet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and UniBank will host live music by Double Play from 4 to 7 p.m.
There will also be open houses, tours, storytelling, special performances, complimentary refreshments and visits by Santa at the Daughters of the American Revolution House, Coronet Farnum House, Uxbridge Public Library, Senior Center, Unibank, Elysian Salon & Spa Retreat, Eddie’s Classic Barbershop, Uxbridge House of Pizza, Savers Bank, Rita’s 3 Stores in One, Uxbridge Dental Center, Felicia’s Salon and Spa, A Touch of Magick, Uxbridge Support Our Troops, Alternatives Unlimited, Premeer Real Estate, Savers Bank, Brothers Liquors, Sassy Fox Consignment, Old Time Barbershop and Wolf Pack Vapor.
The Town Common will be bristling with holiday cheer. The Blackstone Valley Community Chorus will perform from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and Tony the Balloon Man will host children’s activities from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be a sing-along selection of Christmas songs and face painting provided by the Uxbridge High School Class of 2018.
Milford Federal Savings and Loan will be providing free giveaways and there will be plenty to eat, including fried dough, French fries and more from the Uxbridge First Holiday Night Committee and apple cider, donuts and kettle corn by Bill Belanger Brothers.
There will also be coffee and cupcakes provided by Bethany Community Church and an assortment of refreshments courtesy of Hannaford Supermarket.
The 20th Annual Uxbridge First Holiday Night Santa parade steps off at 4:30 p.m. This year’s parade grand marshals are Chuck and Judy Lynch.
The parade route will depart from North Main Street in North Uxbridge. The Uxbridge High School Band will lead the parade as well as other local bands along the parade route.
The parade will stop at the Town Common where Santa and Mrs. Claus will light the trees and illuminate the common. From there, Santa and Mrs. Claus will proceed to the Center Fire Station where they will greet children.
There will be several temporary road closures during the parade beginning at 3 p.m. Residents who live along the route will need to make arrangements regarding leaving and returning to their homes during this time. Roads affected will be North Main Street at Hartford Avenue, including the Rivulet and Elm Street area, all the way to the downtown area up to High Street.
Due to the extensive list of road closures along the parade route, police are advising people to consult the town's website or any of the town's social media pages. There will be links on all of the social media pages to the information on the town web- site. The website address is www.uxbridge-ma.gov.com.
The 20th Annual Uxbridge First Holiday Night celebration culminates with a fireworks display at 7:40 p.m. at the Town Common.
Major sponsors of this year’s event include UniBank, Unilock, J&D Revell & Sons, Mendon Street Kitchen, and Discover Central Massachusetts. Follow Joseph Fitzgerald on Twitter @jofitz7