[portfolio_slideshow]
When it comes to celebrating the holidays, no one does it better than Saugerties. The annual Holiday in the Village event will be held Sunday, Dec. 6 from noon to 5 p.m., followed by the firemen’s Parade of Lights to Seamon Park. The family-friendly event includes an amazing amount of giveaways of bikes and other toys, festively decorated shop windows and local scouts serving up coffee and hot chocolate.
Bikes, bikes, and more bikes
Sawyer Motors’ sixth toy giveaway will be even larger than past events. More than 120 bikes will be given away, compared with 100 last year.
“It’s important to give away bikes to the kids,” said Ray Tucker, sales manager. “It gets them outside doing something, riding with their friends and maybe their parents. It allows them to stay active.”
Other toys include motorized scooters, tablets, footballs, basketballs, TVs, and dolls and cribs for the dolls.
“This is just so rewarding,” Siracusano said. “Several years ago, we gave away a drum set, and the other day I went to an event at Cahill School and that youngster, now in the sixth grade, was playing drums in the school band. That’s why we do it.
“It’s also the residents, business owners and Chamber of Commerce members who donate and volunteer their time to make this a success,” he added. “Recently one of the owners of Elna Magnetics made a donation from the business and employees, and the next day he called back and said that he and his wife had talked it over and they increased that donation out of their pocket.”
Remembering vets
The Saugerties Historical Society will feature a display remembering Saugerties veterans at the Kiersted House on Main St., across from Cahill Elementary School.
Much of the material will be on loan from American Legion Post 72.
“We’re honoring our military this year,” said village historian Marjorie Block. “The Kiersted House will be decked out in its holiday finest, and Santa Claus will be on hand, but the most important part will be the displays from the Legion, which tell the stories of the men and women who served from Saugerties.”
The local Elks Club will have a donation box of items to be shipped to Saugerties residents serving in the military. Suggested items include money, shaving kits, warm socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
There will also be free hot chocolate and a petting zoo at the Kiersted House.
Also happening
The Saugerties Public Library on Washington Ave. will also hold its Festival of Trees all day long, Ray and Carol Ann Mayone will provide free horse-drawn wagon rides though the village and the Boys and Girls Club will hold a holiday craft sale and free face-painting on Partition St. There will also be a holiday craft market at ‘Cue on Partition St. and costumed characters will be strolling the village throughout the day.
Parade of Lights
This bright and noisy affair has become a favorite of children in particular. For much of the last year, the members of the Saugerties fire companies and the village fire department have been planning how best to decorate their trucks with lights, inflated Christmas decorations, and, in some cases, Santa and Mrs. Claus, so they win one of the three trophies awarded by the judges at the parade, which takes place through Main St. and up to Seamon Park just after the Christmas tree and menorah are lit at 5 p.m. at the Reis parking lot, corner of Market and Main. When the parade reaches Seamon Park, all the lights and decorations put up by the village Department of Parks, Buildings and Grounds, the Kiwanis Club, and Seamon Park board are turned on to reveal a spectacular winter wonderland.
Join the family! 
