christmas city! (nov. 2012)

48 • NOVEMBER 2012

A behind the scenes look at what it takes to turn Norwich into the Christmas City

Story by Lisa Miceli Feliciano • Photos courtesy The Bulletin

Santa's Little Helpers

NorMag_November_FINAL.indd 48 10/8/12 9:30 AM

norwichmag.com • 49

ho doesn’t love a parade, and a holiday parade, to boot? Count the Rose of New England as one of its biggest

fans. Norwich has immersed itself in the holiday spirit every year since 1937, when it was dubbed “�e Christmas City” by the State of Con-necticut – an appreciative nod to the dazzling decora-tions its residents and busi-nesses adorned their homes and shops with.

Today, 75 years later, Norwich still considers itself “Christmas City.” �e city’s modern day festivities include the annual Winterfest Parade and Light Up City Hall. Operating as

a winter festival since 1992, the parade itself dates back to 1987. In 2011, the parade and City Hall lighting were, for the �rst time, held on the same day. �is year, the combined events are scheduled for Nov. 24.

Coordinating the Winterfest Parade involves a dedicated Parade Committee comprised of Norwich residents, business

people, representatives of Norwich Free Academy and members of the police and �re departments. Planning starts up to a year in advance.

�is volunteer group works hard each year to coordinate fundraising and logistics. A separate team of City Hall sta� volunteers time to orchestrate Light Up City Hall. �e privately funded $5,000 budget for 2012 will help pay for free entertainment for festivalgoers, but does not include police, public works and other in-kind city services provided.

While attendance numbers ebb and �ow depending on factors including the temperature outside and timing, last year’s festivities brought as many as 5,000 to the parade route, according to Parade Commit-

tee Chairman Dave Wig�eld. �is is his third year at the helm

I love a parade;�e tramping of feet,

I love every beatI hear of a drum.I love a parade;

When I hear a bandI just wanna stand

And cheer as they come!

– From “I Love a Parade,” by Harold Arlen and

Ted Koehler


50 • NOVEMBER 2012

Left: The 1999 holiday parade. Below: An NPU worker a�xes a snow�ake in downtown Norwich.

Carolers gather at City Hall in 2010.



“(Norwich) is such a nice town and it was a great town for many, many decades; one of the top cities in the state. It would

be nice to bring that back."

was a great town for many, many decades; one of the top cities in the state. It would

but like so

many parade organizers, he’s

dedicated his time and e�ort to the cause for about

20 years.Wig�eld, the president of Stadium

Motors in nearby Franklin, provides trailer support for the dozens of �oats the Winterfest Parade typically includes. He is also a huge fan of the parade, and is committed to making sure Norwich does it right each year.

“People that you see along the parade route. �at’s what I remember … the kids with their eyes wide open, really enjoying the activities,“ said Wig�eld.

In 1987, the parade started small, but by 1992 had grown into “Winter Festi-val.” �at year, the city reserved $25,000 in its annual budget for the parade, ac-cording to Kathy “�e Christmas Lady” Relyea (see sidebar, next page), who served as committee chairwoman from 1987 to 2008. When the parade was almost abandoned in 2009 due to signi�cantly diminished funding, new Chairman Wig�eld pushed to reinvigorate interest, with Relyea’s support.

“By 2009, we saw the economy dip and we were down to one contributor plus le�over funds, ” said Relyea.

She rooted out sponsorships from every nook and cranny, from popcorn donors to radio stations. “�ere was such an expectation annually,” said Relyea, “Hours and hours of hard work but exciting, wonderful and everyone pulled together.“

Local radio station 106.5 WBMW �rst came aboard as the parade’s big-gest sponsor in 1987 and has remained so through leaner times. Wig�eld said that, when hard times hit, Norwich just couldn’t a�ord to keep funding the parade. “It’s all privately funded and busi-nesses supply the �oats. I said ‘We can’t

let this festival be dropped. It does too much for the city

of Norwich to let it go by the wayside’.” Wig�eld advocated

focusing on local, homegrown talent, from dance companies to

regional bands. “�e best kind of parades (are)

local parades, because people recognize the people participating,” says Wig�eld.

�e band, homecoming king and queen and football team from NFA tra-ditionally participate, along with parade marchers from nearby communities including Franklin, Griswold, Ledyard and Montville.

“Our volunteers volunteer their energy. We don’t spend a lot of money and the town doesn’t give us any, nor do the taxpayers,” said Wig�eld.

Wig�eld has future plans for the festival. He’d like to form a connection between downtown businesses and evolve the festivities into a weeklong series of events to draw visitors and positively impact city revitalization.

“(Norwich) is such a nice town and it was a great town for many, many decades; one of the top cities in the state. It would be nice to bring that back. People are tired of ‘global’ and want something local in which to participate. I’ve had more people come forward this year to be part of the committee than ever before.”

Wig�eld cited the Otis Library’s “O’ Tis A Festival” on Nov. 17 and the late fall performances at �e Spirit of Broadway �eater and the Donald L. Oat �eater as possible events to tie in with the winter festival.

Lots of elves �e Winterfest has always been the

umbrella encompassing many activities and incarnations. Last year, Wig�eld led the e�ort to combine the parade and

city hall events, and have them on the Saturday a�er �anksgiving. In past years, festivities had taken place the day a�er �anksgiving.

In addition to Winter Festival Com-mittee members, the volunteers at City Hall and Public Works play an intricate role in setting up for the holiday season, as do Norwich Public Utilities crews.

“It takes a lot of spokes in the wheel; hundreds of people to make this happen,” Wig�eld said.

Jill Brennan, executive secretary to the city manager, has worked her magic for three years and counting on Light Up City Hall, putting the perfect holiday glow on the historic building and on the nearby Human Services building. Brennan also organizes features of the festival including caroling for children, horse-drawn carriage rides and getting the Norwich City Band scheduled. Last year, magicians, puppeteers and performers put on outside shows for free.

According to Brennan, the Winter Fes-tival Committee members and city hall team “make sure we’re on the same page.”

“�e city, like the police department, o�ers in-kind support to the committee where they need it; the committee plans and if they need help, they ask,” said Bren-nan. She noted that last year’s holiday festivities at City Hall drew an estimated 1,500, making it the largest crowd to date for the event.

Making the season bright

For public works and police, the parade means preparing for foot tra�c, parking issues, street safety and weather. Pub-lic works and NPU crews also play an important role in making the holidays bright in Norwich.

Bob Sewart, the City Hall building and grounds supervisor, has helped guide lo-gistics concerning holiday decorating and


52 • NOVEMBER 201252 • NOVEMBER 2012

If you go:What: The Annual Norwich Winterfest Parade and Light Up City Hall

Where: Downtown Norwich

Cost: Free

Timeline (subject to change):

1:30 p.m. Parade begins at Chelsea Parade (marches to Norwich City Hall)

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Light Up City Hall Family Entertainment/Downtown Events

5 p.m. Light Up City Hall concludes with lighting of City Hall

For further information on the parade or to enter a �oat, contact Dave Wig�eld at (860) 334-2706 or

[email protected]. For more information on Light Up City Hall, contact Jill Brennan at (860) 823-3750.

The 2012 Norwich Winterfest Parade route — The parade steps o� from Chelsea Parade

and heads south on Broadway:

• Turn east onto Broad Street

• Turn south on McKinley Avenue

• Continue south on McKinley Avenue to Franklin Street

• South on Franklin Street to Franklin Square

• Turn west on Main Street on the north side of the traffic island

• West on Main Street to Broadway

• Turn right (north) on Broadway to Chestnut Street

NOV.

24

Ornament box You can purchase the $12

keepsake at the Norwich City Hall City Clerk’s Office, available after Thanksgiving. Ornaments from

previous years are available year round.

Winter Festival Parade Committee

members Norwich Alderman Tucker Braddock,

Police Captain Patrick Daley, Deb Kievits of Bully Busters, firefighter Marc Landry, Karen Neeley, Chuck and Mary Norris

and Jodi Vara.

lighting for the past 20 years. Although approximately 3,000 lights remain on City Hall and its sister Human Services Building year round, Sewart and his crew test the bulbs beginning in October to see if any need replacing. In the days leading up to the festivities, the front of City Hall is readied with a carpet and chairs where children can wait to see Santa Claus and other holiday characters. Sewart said that “Santa sometimes needs helpers to light the buildings,” so this year he’ll have Norwich resident Joni Tramontozzi’s assistance.

Tramontozzi’s entry of “Ring in the Holidays” was selected by the Parade Committee as its annual theme contest winner. Committee members said that they were looking for a theme with wide appeal.

A crew also festoons the area with holiday wreaths, gives the building a good

once over and prepares the grounds. “I’ve been working here for 33 years

and this building is amazing,” said Sewart, adding that “seeing the kids’ faces when Santa arrives” is what he looks forward to the most.

“You have to love it. I think it helps the city of Norwich and brings people to downtown, which downtown needs,” Sewart said. “Times are tough; you need something for people to get together and have a good time. “

Norwich Public Utilities provides lots of holiday lights, including the sailboat light at Howard Brown Park and the signature rose that adorns Chelsea Parade, plus the street banners and bows. �e utility company plays a huge part in decorating the downtown for the holi-days, and does it with energy e�ciency in mind.

General Manager John Bilda com-

mented, “NPU pushed for and led the initiative to convert everything to LED lights.” LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) typically consume less energy, burn brighter and have a longer lifespan than traditional lights.

Bilda also spoke of the sense of pride NPU employees have when participating in the Winter Festival Parade each year.

“NPU exists as a public entity,” he said. “We want to make Norwich a better place to live, work and do business.”

The perfect tree(s)Angelo Yeitz is the superintendent

of streets and parks for Norwich Public Works. One of his holiday job duties is to �nd the two Christmas trees that are placed at City Hall and at Franklin Square each winter. Yeitz gets more than a few calls from prospective tree “families.” In mid-to-late fall, he and his crew go out



“The Christmas Lady” and the ArtistKathy Relyea is all about the holidays, whether it’s downtown Norwich or her own Victorian-inspired home that she transforms for the season. A�ectionately called “The Christmas Lady,” to speak with the Winterfest Parade’s veritable historian is like stepping back in time. She can tell you about the Mystic bagpiper who had a beard �lled with snow during an intense �urry; Santa arriving by tugboat in a misty Norwich Harbor; or the paint color on a circa 1980s Elf House.

From 1987-2009, Relyea was the driving force behind the event. Now a valued parade advisor, Relyea has continued to work on developing the annual Norwich holiday ornament, along with local artist Angela Cornelle Delgado. For the past 14 years or so, Delgado has oil-painted a di�erent scene for the ornament each year.

Delgado and Reylea said the 2012 ornament would re�ect Norwich’s rich history while commemorating another landmark year.

and inspect each of the o�ered trees. Factors like fullness, height, accessibil-ity and ease of removal weigh heavily on a tree’s “it factor.” Lindon Tree Service of Eastford donates time and manpower to cut down, transport and crane-li� the trees.

“It takes up to six or seven people in a full-day process to scout and stake a tree,” said Yeitz.

�e city of Norwich also erects a menorah, the nine-branch candelabrum celebrating Hanukkah, near the NFA campus annually.

A family tradition�omas and Jessica St. George have

hosted friends and family at their Broad Street property for a “porch party” to watch the parade for the past 14 years. Although they have rented the home to tenants for several years, they return each year to watch the Winterfest Parade.

“It is an open invitation and a great time for everyone to catch up,” Jessica said. “I remember one year when you

could not even see our yard, there were so many people!”

�e marchers enjoy the reception in front of the St. Georges’ former residence as well. “Every year, Tom has cups of hot cocoa ready for parade members as they march by. I know the kids love to see the NFA marching band.”

Perhaps what makes the Norwich Winterfest Parade and Light Up City Hall resonate so strongly is the memories it evokes. For Jill Brennan, it’s the kid carolers that she coordi-nates. Watching them gets her every time.

“I love Christmas. My family has caroled every year since I was a kid. For me, to be able to bring that to people … I feel that I’m giving all of those families the same kind of feeling we have when we go out singing Christmas carols,” said Brennan. “Yes, you want to keep up with the times but if you lose sight of the past, you don’t know where you’re going.”


christmas city! (nov. 2012)

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