East Norwalk Tree Lighting Event Offers Family Fun, Visit From Santa
NORWALK, CT — Families enjoyed festive snacks and sang along to carols as the Third Taxing District held its annual holiday tree lighting event Monday night.
A beloved East Norwalk tradition, the tree lighting was held in the Roger Ludlow Triangle park and featured music by Summertime Band and refreshments provided by the Norwalk Art Space Cafe.
Mayor Harry Rilling also stopped by to express his appreciation for the event and the residents of East Norwalk.
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TTD General Manager Kevin Barber said the park’s brand new 18-foot Norway spruce was procured from a New York tree farm and planted in the park in June. He also noted there were more lights covering the tree this year than ever before.
According to Barber, TTD Assistant General Manager Ron Scofield began planning the event back in the fall.
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“Arrangements for venue, musical group, refreshments, Christmas tree preparation, as well as many other miscellaneous details are involved in planning this event,” Barber said in an email to Patch.
In addition to Rilling, TTD Commission Chairperson Johnnie Mae Weldon and commissioners Pamela Parkington and Michele Sweeney also offered remarks.
Following the tree lighting, a TTD bucket truck covered in holiday lights transported Santa Claus to visit with the children in attendance right in front of the tree.
“This is an East Norwalk tradition that probably began over 50 years ago,” Barber said. “Many East Norwalk families that attend now with their children attended as a child themselves and remember the excitement of Santa arriving on a bucket truck, or a firetruck before that.”
The event is also an opportunity for the taxing district to give back to the community, as TTD uses the tree lighting to launch its annual food and toy drive, during which businesses and individuals can drop off non-perishable food and unwrapped toys in the lobby of the Third Taxing District Electric Department.
“This year the recipients for the food is the Person-to-Person Food Pantry,” Barber said, “and the toys go to Dylan’s Army and Charlotte’s Web of Prayer for distribution to the Norwalk Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital pediatric units.”
The event capped off a weekend filled with tree lightings in Norwalk. On Saturday, the city held similar events at both City Hall and in the Wall Street area of the city.
A tree lighting event also took place at the city’s Holiday Extravaganza held Nov. 25 on Washington Street in South Norwalk.
According to city spokesperson Michelle Woods Matthews, a menorah lighting ceremony is also scheduled to take place next week in Norwalk.
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