Residents Gather on the Green for Winterfest Activities

It was a night for a parade, a few carols, a tree lighting and, of course, a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus on Friday.

And it all kicked off Vernon's annual Winterfest celebration.

The night began with a parade of decorated fire trucks from Vernon and neighboring towns. The trucks left Fire Station 1 on Hartford Turnpike, headed down West Street, then up Union Street and to the Vernon Green.

There, a crowd that had already been warming up with a carol sing, courtesy of a few members of the Rockville High School band, was waiting.

So was Mayor George Apel, who read a proclamation commemorating Winterfest and then, with the help of Paul Stansel Jr., lit the town Christmas tree.

After the ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Claus hosted a reception at Town Hall. While the adults ate hot dogs (the 200 cookies did not make it past the end of the parade) and sipped coffee and hot chocolate, youngsters visited with Santa and Mrs. Claus and whispered wish lists into their ears.