After taking a sensible break from public appearances last year, Santa was back and jollier than ever at Pelham’s Outdoor Christmas Market last Friday, which kicked off at 4 PM at Pelham Town Square.
While a small group of animal-rights protesters noisily demonstrated against horse-drawn carriages present at the event, Market-goers did their best to enjoy the festive atmosphere and seemed to succeed. Good cheer was plentiful, with a palpable sense of relief that some measure of normality had returned, if even for an evening.
The Town counted some 1500 visitors, who enjoyed 16 booths a-marketing, ten stations a-warming, 8 hooves a-clopping, 5 vocalists a-singing, 3 groups a-fundraising, 2 walkers a-stilting, and 1 rotund fellow a-Santa-ing.
As each child approached St. Nick, his right-hand elf carefully examined the naughty-or-nice book to determine 2021 gift eligibility. While some cases were touch-and-go, and stockings of climate-change-inducing coal seemed imminent, in the end all who met with Mr. Claus were given a hearty thumbs-up. Whether supply-chain issues will interfere with Santa’s deliveries remains to be seen. The red-robed fellow will next appear in Fenwick on Saturday, in a parade in his honour, starting at 1 PM.
