The Festival of Lights in Downtown Wickford, Rhode Island

The village of Wickford, Rhode Island may be small, but it is big on Christmas spirit. Wickford is located in the town of North Kingstown, and the North Kingstown Council on the Arts is planning a lot of holiday events to kick off the month of December as part of its annual Festival of Lights weekend.

During the Festival of Lights, tiny white lights are put up everywhere, on trees throughout Wickford, on the sailboats in the harbor, and on the buildings housing the many shops in the downtown area, creating a veritable winter wonderland. Many of the stores are open later than they are during the rest of the year, to accommodate extra shopping, and during the Festival of Lights the shops often serve hot cocoa and mulled cider to visitors. For example, on the Saturday of the Festival, the shops are open until 9 pm.

The 2009 Festival of Lights begins at 6 pm on Thursday, December 3^rd , with the official Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Updike Park (in the center of downtown Wickford) and a visit from Santa Claus. There are also performances by the Lafayette Band and the North Kingstown Community Youth Chorus.

The next day, December 4^th, the events really begin to pick up, but they don't start until 5:30 pm to give Festival goers a chance to get home from work. One of the highlights of each year's Festival of Lights is seeing all the decorated windows of the shops downtown for the annual Holiday Display Contest, which is officially judged from 5:30 - 6:30 Friday night and is televised live from the Town Dock. Santa Claus is expected to come in by boat at 5:30 that night alongside the Town Dock, and there will be hayrides with him leaving from the Town Dock from 6:00 - 8:00. Also that night, there is a free concert at the First Baptist Church on 34 Main Street, featuring some wonderful holiday music and an opportunity for the audience to sing along with Christmas carols.

The fun continues on Saturday, with an opportunity to have breakfast with Santa at the North Kingstown Community Center until 11 am. Then Santa Claus has a boat to catch, because he has to arrive again at the Town Dock for 12:15. The hayrides are available again all afternoon, the Ladies of the Rolling Pin (specializing in Morris dance) perform in Updike Park, the Parallel String Band plays some holiday music, and there is the much anticipated winter concert at the North Kingstown High School by the North Kingstown Community Chorus at 7:30 pm. Again at the First Baptist Church on 34 Main Street, or rather, in its parking lot in a heated tent, the band Kyrie Road will give a concert at 5 pm. Kyrie Road is made up of younger people, and features an electric guitar, a bass guitar, an acoustic guitar, drums, a keyboard, several vocalists, and more. They are also planning to spread lots of holiday cheer with some old favorites and some popular contemporary Christmas songs.

On Sunday, December 6^th, many of the same events that were held on Saturday are held again so everyone can get a chance to take a hayride with Santa, see the Ladies of the Rolling Pin, or go to the North Kingstown High School for the 3 pm performance of the North Kingstown Community Chorus in its winter concert. During the entire weekend, the Olde English Carolers stroll around the village of Wickford in Victorian dress and sing Christmas carols.

The Festival of Lights in Wickford has become one of the most popular events in the entire state, and often there are "surprise" performances by groups or individuals who aren't noted on the NK Council for the Arts schedule, but are very entertaining. In 2008, for instance, the area was "invaded" by "pirates" who walked boldly around the village and lustily sang Christmas carols, much to the delight of the crowd.

It is too early yet to know what the weather forecast will be, but I would like to ask Santa for a nice weekend. With maybe a little bit of snow on the ground and on the tree branches, not enough to make driving difficult or to make it miserable to be outdoors. It would not be fitting to sing "Let It Snow" ("Oh, the weather outside is frightful...",) if it is 65 degrees and sunny out there, either. A happy medium would be ideal for the Festival of Lights, Santa Claus!

Sources and Further Information:

http://www.northkingstown.org/events.asp