MAIN STREET at City Hall was jammed with people anticipating the start of 2024 Home for the Holidays activities hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the city with generous support from Rotary Club and The Residence at Melrose Station. (Carianne Roche Photo)
MELROSE — Seasonal cheer was all around last weekend during the annual Home for the Holidays festivities.
Hosted by the Melrose Chamber of Commerce and the city with great support from the local Rotary Club and The Residence at Melrose Station, Home for the Holidays 2024 had something for everyone.
The city’s business districts were transformed into a winter wonderland with reindeer rides, Santa Claus sightings, craft fairs, plenty of great food and much, much more.
Beginning Friday night, December 6, and going through the kids’ holiday party at Mount Hood Sunday, the spirit of the season was all around the city.
Festivities began Friday with holiday singing on the lawn of City Hall. At about 6:15, Mayor Jen Grigoraitis helped light the Christmas tree there.
Not long afterwards, led by Melrose High School drummers, Santa Claus arrived in downtown Melrose atop the Fire Department’s Ladder 1.
The great hosts at Temple Beth Shalom offered delicious latkes (potato pancakes), sufganiyot (donuts) and beverages at the East Foster Street temple.
From about 6:45 to 8:30 p.m., after the trees along Main Street were lit, a throng visited Santa at the Knights of Columbus for pictures, hot cocoa, holiday music, and more!
All day on Saturday, the city was full of fairs, performances, sales, specials, The Nutcracker and all sorts of fun that lasted throughout the weekend.
Special holiday trolleys carried shoppers throughout the shopping districts, for free. The trolleys were made possible by generous business sponsors Bell & Izzi, LLC, Certified Automotive Solutions, Churchill Corporation, ConnectPay Payroll Solutions, Gately Funeral Home, Giacomo’s of Melrose, Gray’s Appliance, Greater Boston Stage Company, Home Instead, Leeman & Gately (Compass), Melrose Montessori School, Metro Credit Union, Modern Legacy Law Group, North Shore Elder Law & Estate Planning, Northern Bank, Pegasus Design to Build, Robinson Funeral Home, Rockland Trust, Sullivan & Clark, Attorneys at Law, Team Hamblin (Leading Edge), Turner’s Seafood/Rising Eagle, and Virginia Todd/Kate Ware (Leading Edge).
On Sunday, there was an event for swapping holiday decor and trimming hosted by Zero Waste Melrose at the Milano Center and a Craft Fair at the Fish & Game Club from noon to 5 p.m.
Also, the much anticipated Children’s Holiday Party put on by the Mt. Hood Park Association was held at the golf clubhouse on Slayton Road.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., adults had the chance to enjoy “A Moment of Holiday Zen” at The Worklery, 441 Main St. People enjoyed a few hours of child-free crafting, card writing, gift wrapping and general relaxation.
