BURRILLVILLE – On Saturday evening in near freezing cold a crowd of hundreds of holiday revelers lined both sides of the Bridgeway in Pascoag. From the fire station to the IGA, families with young children, groups of teens, and plenty of others came out for the Downtown Pascoag & Neighborhood Association’s annual Victorian Holiday.
One focus of the festival was Burrillville elementary school children singing Christmas carols in front of the fire station. Family members surrounded the young performers, filming on smart phones.
Also among the highlights of the frosty air event were small business and other vendors selling their wares, or offering food and drink. Visitors stopped by such vendor tables as Capricorn Run Farm and Kettle Korn All Natural.
Festival-goers sipped hot apple cider or munched on treats from food trucks while colored lights blinked along the street, as if in anticipation of the coming Jeep and rescue vehicle parade escorting Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Jeep owners have a nationwide community, and locally, the 401 Jeep Wave came out for the parade.
But before the parade ended its route through town where the crowd was waiting, the people had other sights to experience – including a greeting from one of the least friendly characters in literary history, Ebenezer Scrooge of the beloved novel “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.
Actor Steve Taschereau will play the lead role in the upcoming performance of the corresponding play with the Rhode Island Stage Ensemble at the Assembly Theatre on December 13, 14,15, 20 and 21, and if Saturday’s visit to Pascoag was any indication, the actor may be quite convincing in the role.
Festival-goers also got to meet another character decked out for the holidays: The Kindness Rocks Elf.
“The world needs kindness,” said the locally known “Rock Father,” Roger Bourbonniere of Oakland.
Last Saturday was his seventh year visiting Downtown Pascoag & Neighborhood Association’s Victorian Holiday. Bourbonniere was spreading cheer and offering from his sack presents, such as intricately painted holiday-themed rocks and other gifts people donated to his cause. The Rock Father said he believes that a smile and a message can changes someone’s day, and spreads his cheer at events and through his Burrillville Rocks page on Facebook.
Cheerleaders were also out in the snappy cold air. At the Burrillville Middle School girls’ table Brianna Lyles said donations to their fundraiser would help with uniforms and bus rides to competitions the cheerleaders plan to attend, including nine events from January to March.
“I love that we’re doing more festivals,” Lyles said. “We get to sell and people get to donate. The holiday spirit brings the community together. You don’t see a lot of that in towns these days.”
“It’s a wonderful event,” said the cheerleaders’ Head Coach Maleeka Palmisciano.
Gearing up on a side street for the parade was Mel Courtemanche of Pascoag, a member of 401 Jeep Wave, who said that for the Jeep enthusiasts, the event “gets us in the mood for the holidays.”
Her Jeep was attired as “Bumble” – the abominable creature from the mega-popular Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer cartoon from writer Romeo Muller and director Larry Roemer that premiered on TV on December 6, 1964, to an audience of countless Baby Boomer children, teens and their families.
The parade in Pascoag is “all about the holiday, the festivities,” said Scott Rushworth of Thompson, Conn. “It’s good getting people together and to be part of the jeep club.”
In a jeep decorated with Christmas lights with golden doodle dog Buddy, Debbie Rushworth agreed.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun,” she said.
Ethan Martin of Smithfield and Taryn Reed of Pascoag seemed eager to embark on their first time participating in the Jeep parade.
“We went for a Grinch theme,” said Reed.
“That was the first movie we watched together, three years ago,” said Martin.
The young couple brought with them to also ride in the parade a cousin: Cora, age nine.
Hour passed, the sky got darker and the air colder, and as if someone gave the signal, warm cheers and applause burst forth from both sides of the streets as the Jeep and Christmas parade rolled onto the Bridgeway.
The Jeeps sparkled and honked, the fire and recuse vehicles sounded alarms, and Mr and Mrs. Claus waved – all bringing in Christmas season 2024 in Pascoag.
