Photo by Maureen L. SullivanWet weather on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 30, caused the Natick Center Cultural District and Rec. to move the town’s annual Holiday Lighting celebration from the Common to the Cole Center on Boden Lane. The Common’s trees and decorations were lit by noontime, and several Main Street businesses were open for holiday shopping. Meanwhile, Santa visited the town’s neighborhoods via one of the town’s fire trucks.
With Santa on the road, Bumble from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” came to the Cole Center to greet young visitors while they engaged in face painting and ornament making.
Bumble from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” greeted youngsters(Photo by Maureen L. Sullivan)
Also at the center, Vivilicious served hundreds of cups of REAL hot chocolate. Those wishing to help during the holidays could pick up a gift tag from a miniature version of the Marsha Kelly Memorial Giving Tree. The actual tree is in the lobby of the police station; donors have until Dec. 7 to pick up tag, obtain the gift requested, and return to the Natick Service Council. There was also a food drive for A Place to Turn.
A miniature version of the Marsha Kelly Memorial Giving Tree was at theCole Center (Photo by Maureen L. Sullivan)
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I was disappointed to read that hot chocolate and coffee for the Holiday Lighting and Stroll were purchased from Starbucks — especially when local businesses were ready and excited to contribute.
Vivilicious Chocolates prepared hundreds of cups of REAL hot chocolate for the event, sponsored by the Natick Center Cultural District (NCCD). We were proud to support the celebration and our downtown community. Because attendance was smaller than expected, we still had plenty left to share — enough to warm many more people that evening.
It’s disheartening to learn that, despite local sponsorship and participation, one of the event’s organizing groups chose to purchase from a national chain instead of supporting the very Main Street businesses that make Natick special.
I truly hope that future events will keep “shop local” and “support local” at the heart of the planning. Small businesses like ours pour time, care, and community spirit into everything we do — and that’s what makes Natick Center unique