Santa came to town today — Maplewood Village, to be precise — and the reception was extremely enthusiastic. Throngs of children and their parents lined Maplewood Village on a bright, sunny Saturday to greet the man in red as he arrived in style on a firetruck.
Santa visited with children in the Dickens Houses and smiled gamely for photo after photo, with Mrs. Claus at his side.
Later, crowds gathered at Ricalton Square to hear live holiday music and listen raptly as Mayor Vic DeLuca read a traditional holiday story and former township committeeman Jerry Ryan read A Christmas Carol.
The festivities were capped off with the lighting of the Christmas tree.
Dickens Village events continue with additional activities, music and open houses for viewing on Saturdays December 10 and December 17. Children can enjoy horse and buggy rides, reindeer, a petting zoo, carolers and more. On Tuesday night, December 27 at 6:15 p.m., also in Ricalton Square, the Township will light the Village Menorah to celebrate Hanukah and celebrate with prayer and song.
Breakfast with Santa happens on Saturday, December 10th. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis and are on sale at Village Wine Shop for the St. James’s Gate location and at No. 165 for the Village Trattoria location.
See the full Dickens Village schedule below:
Enjoy our photo gallery below; all photos by Claire Sinclair. Click on any photo to begin.
