Groton Holiday Lights Parade to be replaced with new event

Chamber of Commerce president cites weather, dwindling crowds as reasons for change

Groton — Trying something different for the holidays this year, the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce is replacing the Groton Holiday Lights Parade with a stationary Groton Holiday Kickoff Celebration.

The event is scheduled to be held at the Groton Senior Center from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, with Santa arriving by firetruck at 5:30.

“Part of it is about the weather, because being outside for long periods of time in bad weather at that time of year is tough,” chamber President Peggy Roberts said. She added, “The crowd has been dwindling a bit in the last few years. We’re not saying never again with the parade.”

The Groton Holiday Lights Parade has been held in early December every year since 1999. Traveling west on Route 1, it culminated in Santa lighting the holiday tree at the Groton Shopping Plaza. The parade historically has been sponsored by the Groton Business Association, which announced its merger with the chamber in January.

Roberts said the new event will include a tree-lighting ceremony, caroling, bell choir, food trucks, hot chocolate and crafts for kids. Other possibilities include cookie decorating, story time and wagon rides.

The chamber is asking area businesses to each decorate a tree.

“There are some people who feel pretty nostalgic about the parade and would like to see that continue,” Roberts said, adding, “We’re just going to see how this goes, and see what people think.”

One of those people is Groton Town Council member Lian Obrey, one of the founders of the parade and a past chairwoman.

“I’m trying to be supportive but I’m very disappointed,” Obrey said. “I think people look forward to that parade, and I think it gave downtown Groton an opportunity to shine.”

She said the Groton Business Association originally came up with the idea of the parade “to have something that made us very visible, and perhaps would bring in some more business to the downtown part of Groton.”

Obrey noted that as the parade

grew over its first few years, the GBA decided to start holding the Groton Fall Festival to help fund the parade.

Chris Regan, who manages the Groton Shopping Plaza, thinks the parade will come back next year, though he noted that he thinks the event this year will be “beneficial” because of the indoor component.

Regan said he is in the process of trying to form a downtown merchants association in an effort to get other property owners involved.