SANTA took a moment on Saturday to pose for a photo with kids outside his headquarters on the Common. (Mark Sardella Photo)
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Dozens of families gathered in the Common in the chilly, overcast early afternoon. Some sipped on hot chocolate served by members of the Wakefield Lions Club.
Soon, the faint sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. As the sound grew closer, excitement mounted.
He’s coming!” shouted one parent.
Soon, a Wakefield Police cruiser could be seen crossing Main Street from Yale Avenue in front of the Rockery followed by a sleigh and a Wakefield Fire engine.
“There he is!” someone shouted. “It’s Santa!”
Cheers erupted as the procession circled Veterans Memorial Common and turned left on Common Street. The shouting continued as Santa Claus and Miss Merry Christmas, Peyton Loftus, pulled up to Santa’s Headquarters in a sleigh courtesy of Designer Lawn Sprinkler.
After greeting the children and pausing for a photo outside his headquarters, Santa went inside where he welcomed children and families who had come to visit and share their Christmas wishes.
Santa’s arrival in Wakefield on Saturday marked the 63rd annual Christmas Pageant sponsored by the Wakefield Lions Club, which also provides Santa’s local headquarters on the Common. Over the years, Santa has landed on the Common in a helicopter or been driven by a Fire Engine. In recent years, the Jolly Elf has arrived aboard Designer Lawn Sprinkler’s special sleigh.
Children are welcome to visit between now and Dec. 23 and tell Santa what they would like for Christmas this year. Santa will be at his Headquarters on the Common Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Wakefield Lions Club was chartered on June 26, 1930 and is one of the oldest Lions Clubs in Massachusetts. The Lions are best known for fighting blindness, but they also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects – including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.