BURRILLVILLE – Outside the snow wasn’t falling, and Santa wasn’t driving a sleigh just yet.
But he did pull up at the wheel of a firetruck as he waved at cheering kids and adults gathered outside Jesse M. Smith Library in Harrisville on Saturday, Dec. 7. The jolly elf in red and white arrived at one in the afternoon for the annual free family event Santa at Stillwater, put on by the Burrillville Parks & Recreation Department with support from Dino’s Park-n-Shop.
Santa, followed by a trail of enthusiastic youngsters and adults, entered the gaily holiday-decorated library, where elves of all sorts greeted the visitors, offering candy canes, hot cocoa and donuts.
“I love seeing the kids happy,” said volunteer Sheri Actis.
Actis and her daughter-in-law Kayleigh Actis were at the gift basket raffle table by the front door as people poured into the library. The event is “very popular,” said Kayleigh.
Bright Christmas baskets bulging with donated items were available for raffle, and donors of items for the Burrillville Animal Shelter were offered free tickets.
Baskets items are donated throughout the year, and volunteer Paulette Dubois makes the chocolate lollipops and the blankets, explained the Actises. Sheri noted Dubois is a great volunteer.
The pair of volunteers also help with the Burrillville Snack Pack program, which provides food for children to have to eat on the weekends.
“These events raise money for the Burrillville Food Pantry,” and other projects for Burrillville families, noted Kayleigh.
Numerous families flocked to the library on Saturday.
“The kids are very excited to see the firetruck, and Santa, and they love cookies with Mrs. Santa,” Kayleigh said.
Santa’s helpers, members of Girl Scout Troop 1375, were welcoming little ones into the line waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas.
“I love it,” the children’s mother Darlene Pourhakopian of Webster, Mass., said about the holiday event. “The library looks beautiful, and there’s nice activities.”
“It’s nice to have this in our neighborhood,” said the children’s grandmother, Ana Calderone of Pascoag. “It’s always a wonderful time that the kids look forward to.
Calderone noted that Natalie was counting down the minutes until she would see Santa on her way to the event.
“We’ve been coming here every year since they were babies,” Calderone said.
Girl Scout Troop leader Angela Knapp Levesque acknowledged her troop’s co-leader Ainsley Cantoral, as well as the youngsters Eva Cantoral, Jorgi Cantoral, J. Neeley, Eliza Levesque, Rhyan McElneath, Ofelia Cantoral, and Lyla Burroughs’ part in keeping the day merry and bright.
Robert Brissette of Pascoag was waiting in the Santa Claus line with his group.
“I love it,” he said of the annual holiday event. “We were here for Halloween as well,” he added of the library’s Boo Bash, held in October.
Lisa Brissette said Santa at Stillwater is a wonderful every year, noting her family has attended the event each year for the past seven Christmas seasons.
“They all do a great job,” Brissette said of the cast and crew. “It makes seeing Santa, and Mrs. Claus, affordable.”
Jordan Brissette, age 11, spoke up, adding “today is very awesome, and I’m glad we get to see Santa.”
Woonsocket residents Alyson McMahon and Louis Fernandez, with five-year-old Luna were attending the Christmas celebration for the first time. The adults were pleased.
“It was great. She was very excited to see Santa and Mrs Claus,” McMahon said of Luna.
Fernandez pointed out that Santa at Stillwater was “not too big, and a quick wait to see Santa. It’s well-organized. The activities for the children were fun.”
Rachel Maia was at the library’s annual festivities with her husband Michael Maia and their little one Noah, age four.
“It’s lovely,” she said. “We haven’t lived in Pascoag very long, and it’s our first Christmas at the library.”
At the other end of the library Mrs. Claus known sometimes as Nancy Hopkins, greeted children. They each got to have their photo taken with the big elf’s wife and to decorate a Christmas cookie.
“We’ve attended this event the last couple of years. It’s always wonderful,” said Kelsey Gagner of Danielson, Conn.. “Her favorite part this year is seeing Santa drive the firetruck,” Gagner said of her four-year-old, Ellie.
For the children, it didn’t matter that there was no snow or Santa’s sleigh in Harrisville on Saturday as they enjoyed the Christmas wonderland, making holiday memories to last a lifetime.
