2021 Christmas Tree Lighting & Santa’s Arrival in Roseland
On Saturday, December 4, the Borough of Roseland held its biggest Christmas celebration yet – complete with outdoor activities for adults and children alike – all culminating in the arrival of Santa Claus on a helicopter.
The first two hours of the outdoor celebration took place in front of the Borough building at 19 Harrison Avenue with dressed up characters walking around the premises, a game truck for kids to compete and win prizes, a zeppole truck for attendees to enjoy for free, a hot chocolate bar sponsored by the Roseland Free Public Library, a coffee stand donated by Starbucks, and an inflatable snow globe for families to take photos in. A trackless train was also available for children to ride around the Harrison Complex area, but many attendees were thrilled to see some real horsepower and ride a horse drawn carriage that was available. Children were also able to write their letters to Santa and place them in the special mailbox the Borough operates for North Pole bound letters.
At around 7pm, the area was surprised to hear a loud noise and then see Santa Claus arrive to the celebration via a helicopter and make a landing in front of the tennis courts at 19 Harrison Avenue. Santa was greeted by the Mayor and the Police Department and he waved hello to the nearly 600 people that were cheering and clapping between Borough Hall and the municipal building.
“Santa ushering in the holiday season via helicopter at night added to the magic of Christmas,” said Roseland Mayor James R. Spango. “We thank Santa for giving the reindeer a night off to rest for Christmas Eve.”
Santa quickly greeted all of the attendees from the Mayor’s Office balcony where he could be more easily seen and heard before using his Christmas magic and vanishing into the open. Mayor Spango and Santa’s elves lit the Christmas tree and Santa was then soon spotted with the Fire Department, coming down Eagle Rock Avenue into downtown on their decoratively lit fire trucks. Children were then able to take their Christmas photo with Santa and let him know what they wanted for Christmas this year.
Carolers sang traditional music in old style garb, a DJ provided current sounds of the season to fill the background, and various musical and talent acts filled a stage that was set up in the Borough Hall’s Harrison Avenue parking lot.
Reaction from residents online to the Borough’s event were astounding with residents saying, “everything was perfect”, “thanks for bringing the Christmas magic”, “we had the BEST time as a family”, “I couldn’t be more proud of the town I live in”, and that it was the “best event we can recall in Roseland over the past fifteen years”. One disappointed resident who didn’t attend remarked online that they missed “a Hallmark kinda night”.
“The Christmas Tree lighting and arrival of Santa was a much-needed night of fun and relaxation for our community in what has been a tough 21 months,” said Mayor Spango. “I thank all of the volunteers and members of the community whose participation were vital to such a great success. Each year we attempt to make our events unique from the year before. Planning and hosting these events are a lot of work but also a lot of fun and rewarding when we get so much positive feedback from the community. Having events like these and investing in our community are what help us keep that small town feeling in Roseland.”