Above: A look at community holiday event highlights over the past month, starting with Thanksgiving fun, through Santa Day and beyond. (images cropped from contributed photos credited below, plus two by Beth Melo)
Yesterday, I posted photo highlights from special holiday events that Southborough Police and Fire were involved in. But Southborough residents have also been very busy for the past month putting on or participating in special holiday themed events. Today, I’m sharing photo highlights from those community events.
Dipping back to last month, I’m sharing pics with Thanksgiving themed events, followed by Christmas/December holiday celebrations. There are also a few videos sprinkled in.
Turkey Trot
For the 5th year, Southborough Kindergroup hosted its fun run for Kids. Age groups cover infants (with parents pushing strollers) through 8 year olds. The event took place ten days before Thanksgiving, on November 17th. (See image right for event sponsors.) Here are their contributed pics:
Gobble Wobble
Friends of Recreation’s 19th annual fundraiser featured a 5K timed race with a 2 mile family-friendly walk on Thanksgiving morning. This year, the Friends boasted a record breaking number of registrants — 1,208 runners and walkers! The event was made possible by a good group of volunteers and sponsors (see image right).
Pics shared by the Friends shows that some participants (and organizers) once again fully embraced the turkey day theme:
Girl Scout Holiday Sing-along
Every year on the Friday of the first weekend of December, the Girl Scouts kick off the community’s winter holiday season. Scouts lead a free Friday night community sing-along on the Community House lawn for families with children. The fun includes Christmas Carols, and other winter and holiday songs, capped off with hot cocoa and treats. (Participants were also encouraged to bring a gift to donate to Project Just Because.) The troop leading the event shared pics:
Bonus: They also shared a video capturing some of the fun! (Click the bottom right icon to expand the window.)
Annual Kids Shop
One of the many events on the first Saturday in December is this annual shop run as a community service by Boy Scout Troop 92. Scouts provide a safe haven and help for kids doing their own holiday shopping from tables full of discounted items. It includes free gift wrapping (or bags), allowing kids to fully surprise family members when gifts are exchanged. (While waiting, adults can buy food/coffee.) Adults can also shop the event. Proceeds from the sale are donated to charity.
This year, for the first time, it was held at the Southborough Senior Center. I managed to swing by towards the end of the sale and captured a few pics:
Christmas Bazaar
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church volunteers work to put on this big annual event in their parish hall with a White Elephant and craft sales, a silent auction, basket raffle, lunchtime Café, and more. Proceeds support the work of its Youth Mission group. Organizers asked me to share, “Thank you to the community and volunteers for supporting this event, which has been occurring for more than 30 years.” Below are two of my pics (at the tail end) followed by contributions from the church
Southborough Library Holiday Tree Decorating Party & Friends of the Southborough Library Book Sale
Every year, kids are invited to drop-in to enjoy candy canes and make ornaments to hang on the library holiday tree. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Southborough Library, which also holds a book sale upstairs that day. (As President of the Friends, I got so wrapped up in the sale this year, I forgot to take pics until most of the kids had gone! I managed to get one below.)
Arts and Crafts Fair & Southborough History & Arts Center Grand Opening
The Southborough Historical Society held an open house with an Arts & Crafts Fair for holiday shopping. The event was part of its celebration of the (temporary) opening of it’s new location in the renovated, historic Fayville Hall. (SHS apparently got approval to hold the one day special event, but still needs to do more work before it is officially open for business.) The celebration also included an art exhibit featuring the works of four Southborough residents. (Click thumbnails of my photos below for more details.)
Santa Day
One of the most popular annual events in Southborough is the big visit from Santa Claus, organized by Southborough Kindergroup. With support from the community and sponsors (see flyer right), Santas helpers from Kindergroup host Santa flying in by helicopter (landing on St. Mark’s field). The event features lots of fun for the kids in the Community House, ending with photos with Santa.
This year, the big free event moved from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning (to make things easier for families with kids in youth basketball). I wasn’t able to make it, but they kindly shared some fabulous pics, including of additional special visitors adding humor and cheer to the fun. (They look an awful lot like the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and princess Belle!)
The Community Advocate posted to Instagram a video of the landing:
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Handel’s Messiah Concert
The Sunday of the first weekend in December is also when the “Messiah Community Chorus” puts on a special concert at Pilgrim Church each year. They shared a photo from this year’s performance. (Click on image right for concert sponsors.)
St. Mark’s School’s Lessons and Carols
The private school traditionally invites the public to join them for one of their annual services of Nine Lessons and Carols for Christmas. The public version of the service took place this past Sunday. Earlier in the week, the school held a private service for just the school community. The school provided permission to share pics below that were posted from that event to their SmugMug account:
Of course, the season isn’t yet done!
For a reminder of other upcoming holiday festivities and services (including tonight’s downtown shopping with mocktails, special church events, and the ongoing voting on registered holiday lights/displays around town), click here.
