Tree Lighting Parade Draws Huge Crowd to the Green

Saturday couldn’t have been a better night to come to the center of town for the 16th annual Branford Tree Lighting Parade. The weather was cool but pleasant and a large crowd, about 2,500 people, including hundreds of kids and their families came to welcome Santa, view the parade and witness the lighting of the Christmas tree.

It was quite an event.

The idea of a parade began in 2000 when the town’s Recreation Department assistant director Dale Izzo, local photographer Catherine Kiernan, and banker Charlotte Mattei got together for pizza. They came up with an idea; the rest is history.

“The year before all the town had was a small ceremony on the Green to light the tree,” Izzo said. ​“We came up with the idea of a parade and the next year we had a small one that started at the Armory on Montowese Street and went up to the Green to light the tree.

“It sure has grown over the years,” she said.

That might be an understatement as it was estimated there were upwards of two thousand marchers along with a number of floats and vehicles, including vintage cars, tractors, flatbeds, pick-up trucks and, of course, the always present town fire trucks.

The thousands viewing the parade stood three to five feet deep for three blocks in the center of town. It was announced to be the largest parade ever held over the last 16 years. 

A number of families lined East Main Street, but clearly the majority of those attending were in the town center waiting for Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Rudolph’s arrival on a vintage fire truck.

And children of all ages weren’t disappointed when Santa’s fire truck was spotted coming up the hill to the center. The look on the faces of those young and old was one of exhilaration and excitement.

Director of Recreation Alex Palluzzi, Jr., said, ​“I think our parade brings up everyone’s spirits. Adults and children alike just enjoy the parade, and it gets everyone thinking about the holidays.”

Before the parade stepped off at 6 p.m. at the high school, Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green offered free cookies, hot chocolate, and cider in the church hall. The town band rehearsed inside the warm church. The Shoreline Community Church also provided hot chocolate on the Green.

Both Palluzzi and Izzo couldn’t say enough about the contributions of several local companies that donated to the program including J. Witkowsky and Son’s Tree Service, which decorated the tree, and Van Wilgen’s Garden Center, Guilford Fence, and Flower Wonderland, which assisted with decorations for the area surrounding the tree.

“Even though the Recreation Department organizes the tree lighting parade now,”’ said Izzo ​“we would be remiss if we didn’t thank our First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove and the public works, police and fire departments for their help as well. We couldn’t do it without them.”

}Izzo said they had 30 groups signed up to march but as many as 10 more showed up to be part of the parade. ​“We made arrangements to include them,” said Izzo. ​“The more the merrier.”

Included among the marching groups were students and staff from Tisko, Sliney, and Murphy elementary schools. Walsh Intermediate Schools had school floats as well.

St. Mary’s School had its Fife and Drum Corps(pictured), as well as a number of students marching in the parade.

Branford’s Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez (pictured) even drove a special motorized Branford Public Schools cart.

The Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps led off the parade, followed by First Selectmen Jamie Cosgrove and Third Selectman and former fire chief Jack Ahern, pictured here.

Other groups included the Branford Rotary with upwards of a dozen tractors operated by club members. Here former Police Chief Bob Gill drives one of the Rotary Club’s tractors.

The Branford Festival Committee had an impressive float entitled ​“Candy Land” that featured Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

The program concluded when emcee the Rev. Bill Keane counted down with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Rudolph as the tree was lit.

It was a special Branford evening.

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