By Cynthia Prairie
© 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC
Good cheer and humor fill the season with warmth no matter how chilly it gets and how much snow falls. Londonderry residents helped kick the Christmas holiday into high gear on Friday night with a parade of lighted farm equipment ushering in Santa and the town’s annual tree lighting at the Mountain Marketplace. Several hundred residents gathered, including a clutch of children wearing lights — Kids’ Lit, if you will.
Saturday was a busy day in Chester starting in the morning at the First Universalist Parish in the Stone Village, which hosted a Holiday Craft Fair, Bake Sale & Fine Art Show of artwork by the members of the Stone Village Art Guild. Smiling shoppers were attracted by the fine crafts and artwork.
By noon, volunteers preparing the annual Chester-Andover Senior Christmas Dinner were ready to begin serving the hundred or so diners filtering in the cafeteria at Green Mountain High School. The event, which had been on Covid hiatus, returned this year thanks to organizer Pat Budnick, who pulled together a village of people to cook donated turkeys and fixings and serve the meals to the hungry crowd.. The dinner also featured the much loved desserts from the Ladies of Andover. Following lunch, volunteers delivered meals to those unable to attend.
Late in the afternoon, Chester held its own tree lighting when Santa visited the Green escorted by Chester Police.
Click any image to launch the gallery. All photos by Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie.
A parade of lighted farm equipment ushers in the festivities Friday at the Mountain Marketplace in Londonderry.
Tractor Surprise!
Kids Lit: Even the children got into the spirit of decorating everything.
Santa leads the countdown for the tree lighting.
And the tree lights up the dark winter night.
Melody Reed sells handmade earrings, ‘Bernie Mittens’ and necklaces at the UU Church on Saturday morning.
Season’s Greenings: Holiday centerpieces to dress up your holiday tables are also offered.
Laurie Marcheaux takes a break from selling her soft, hand-sewn pottery to say hello to a fluffy puppy.
MW Hunter Custom Woodworking offers handmade bowls, cutting boards and other fine wooden objects.
Artists Marianne Shaughnessy of Athens, left, and Kathy Giurtino happily show off their works.
Festive decorations welcome diners to the Chester-Andover Senior Christmas Dinner at GM on Saturday.
Also festively festooned is Asta Spafford, who greeted folks at the door.
Nancy Lindsay serves up the gravy with a smile and
the village of volunteers preparing plates in the kitchen.
Diners greet a visitor with a happy hello.
From left, Nancy Anderson, Mrs. and Santa Claus and Pat Budnick speak with a visitor.
