Parks and Rec Round-Up: Festival of Lights and Black Friday Parents Day Out

The annual Narragansett Festival of Lights, put on by the Parks and Recreation Department and various town departments and businesses, takes place all-day Sunday.

The actual tree lighting at 5 p.m. at Gazebo Park. The tree will be lit this year by Tia Browning of the Pier Middle School.

The fun starts at 10 a.m. for the kids at the Narragansett Community Center. Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure, which is about the dog and not the composer, will be shown. It is followed by arts and crafts, music and pizza with the NHS cheerleaders at 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. A canned good donation is requested.

At 1:45 p.m., Santa’s parade begins, leaving from the Community Center and weaving down to the Pier Marketplace and the Towers. The fifth and sixth grade Pier School chorus will accompany Santa.

The Towers gift shop will be open at 10 a.m., and there will be music from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. from the high school and Pier School bands and choruses.

From 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., there will be pictures with Santa at the Towers. You can receive a free picture if you donate a toy to the Narragansett Housing Authority. Holiday trolley rides will also take place, beginning and ending at the Towers.

The Grinnell Inn will be hosting gingerbread and Christmas cookie decorating from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. They will also accept donations for Narragansett Housing Authority.

At 2:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., the library will host two showings of “Stories from Snowy Lands” by Sparky’s Puppets. In-between shows, Brownie Troop 23 and Daisy Troop 7 will be caroling.

The festivities at Gazebo Park being at 4 p.m. The Lions Club will have hot chocolate, and Cool Beans will be providing cookies. The high school and middle school choruses will be singing, and music mixes will be played by DJ Jason Citrone. Tarbox Toyota is providing glow sticks.

In the Pier Marketplace:

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., there will be holiday storytelling at Curiosity and Mischief.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., horse drawn wagon rides are available.

From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a luminary stroll with free refreshments in each store.

From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a Meet and Greet with Santa at the Polka Dot Panda. Please bring your own camera!

All businesses are participating in the second annual Business Window Display Contest.

For more information, contact the Narragansett Parks and Recreation Department.

Black Friday Event A Success

According to Parks and Recreation Supervisor Tom Thornton, Black Friday Parents Day Out was a great success.

While their parents shopped, town employees watched and entertained the kids. Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather, kids were able to play at Sprague Park, in addition to the NES gymnasium and cafeteria.

Release courtesy of the Narragansett Parks and Recreation Department.