Santa Claus will be coming to Gloucester on Sunday, riding high on the Fire Department's new ladder truck as part of the annual Santa Claus Parade and tree lighting ceremony.
Santa's appearance will just be one part of the annual parade, which assembles at 2 p.m. and steps off at 3 from the Jodrey State Fish Pier.
The parade will come out Parker Street, then head up Main Street and to Stacy Boulevard to Kent Circle for the tree lighting.
The event will include floats or other units from Beeman School, St. Ann's School, the Gloucester High Junior ROTC corps, the American Red Cross and the YMCA Teen Center, among others,
Local mail carriers will be accepting letters for Santa along the parade route as part of the U.S. Post Office presentation, while retiring City Council John "Gus" Foote and his wife Carolyn Foote, who retired earlier this year as the city's long-time chief parking meter attendant, will serve as grand marshals.
The parade and lighting ceremony is sponsored by a number of local businesses, including Gorton's of Gloucester, Sam Park and Co., BankGloucester, Rockport National Bank, Cape Ann Savings Bank and Ipswich Savings.
But City Councilor and downtown businessman Joseph Ciolino, one of the parade organizers, emphasized that it is really a grassroots effort.
"It's Boy Scouts, it's Girl Scouts, it's some of our schools — it's just kind of our start to the whole Christmas season," Ciolino said,
"We'll have a band (The Boston Firemen's Band), we'll have Santa Claus introducing the Gloucester Fire Department's new ladder, and we'll have the tree lighting," Ciolino added. "It really is grass roots; we really just all want to do something nice for the children to kick off the Christmas spirit."
Other sponsors include Carroll K. Steele Insurance, Gloucester Rotary Club, Ruth Pino and Hiltz Disposal.
Holiday cards will be available at the city Veterans Services table at Kent Circle at the end of the parade. Residents and visitors are encouraged to take the time write a note to the Gloucester men and women who are in the service this holiday season. The holiday cards are once again being donated by Ciolino's Weathervane shop on Main Street.
Donations will also be accepted to provide phone cards as an extra gift. The Gloucester Veterans Office is coordinating the effort to send each of Gloucester's servicemen and-women a holiday package.
Ciolino noted that there are already signs the parade will get one important bit of cooperation — from the weather.
"It was freezing last year," he recalled, "but this year, it's supposed to be a lot nicer.
"I hope everyone comes out," he added. "It really is just a great community parade."
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