The Village of Greenwich, New York is kicking off the holiday season this weekend with its 11th Annual Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade.
The parade hosted by the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce and TD Bank brought in 70 tractors last year. It closes with Mr. and Mrs. Claus in a sleigh often bearing joyous smiles for children and families in the crowd. The event, which takes months to plan, attracts people from near and far. More than 10,000 gathered along the winding route last year.
Aside from putting the final touches on wagons and tractors, parade-day afternoons are spent lining up tractors, ensuring a smooth ride.
Nearly 50 sponsors play a huge part in the event from providing the horse-drawn wagon rides to portable restrooms and more.
Rain or shine, the parade requires a minimum of 2,000 lights for floats and 1,000 for tractors. Additionally, no riders can be dressed as Santa Claus to ensure there is only one. And only holiday music can be played.
As you may have gathered….participants take it very seriously.
Erin Elkins, the former president of the Parent Teacher Student Association— a nonprofit organization associated with Greenwich Central School District — is driving her farm tractor this year, giving it a day off the from the fields.
She says a generator will be strapped to the youth center and PTSA’s tractor and wagon, “Nightmare Before Christmas” theme, to give the best show.
“Every year we've talked about doing the tractor parade, but didn't have a wagon and just thought it wasn't the best use of PTSA time at that point,” Elkins said. “However, now that I am not present and had a little bit more free time, we knew that the Greenwich Youth Organization was looking for a tractor and thought that it'd be a really good collaboration between these two kinds of large community groups that really support the students of the district, we have a lot of parents and teachers who are just really amazing to kind of help our students have lots of different opportunities. So, seeing how we happen to have a tractor we figured that we would put our tractor in and then someone else donated the wagon so that both the organizations, the Greenwich PTSA, and agreements use association or organization can put a tractor in the parade as it's just a really great community event.”
The day encompasses several free pre-parade events like selfies with Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides, music in the park.
Julian Powers, a third-grader, is planning on riding in the wagon if it doesn’t rain. Powers says the tractor parade has been the talk of the village.
“The people who go to the youth center, they’re like ‘I can’t wait to go on the tractor,’ and then Flynn’s, he’s going on his sister’s friends float named Maddie.”
Rachel Clothier is the vice president of operations with the PTSA and a board member of the Greenwich Youth Center. She says seeing kids happy and lights filling the village brings her joy as it drives by her home on Academy Street.
“The Youth Center kids have the hay wagon all decorated in the village hall right now,” Clothier said. “Our theme this year is going to be the Nightmare Before Christmas. So, Jack and Sally are going to be featured on our float. This is the PSAs maiden tractor voyage. We haven't done a parade before this year. So, we're pretty excited to enter and collaborate with the youth center.”
Businesses across the village open their doors to welcome tourists and neighbors alike to get in the holiday spirit.
Last year, most tractors were from local businesses and organizations, but several made the trip from nearby communities to participate.
The parade steps off at 6.
