Ridgefield’s full day of festivities celebrating the holiday season hit downtown Saturday, Dec. 3 as part of the city’s annual “Hometown Celebration.”
At 9 a.m., the ugly Christmas sweater 5K and 10K run kicked off around downtown. Starting that morning, both Overlook Park and the Ridgefield Administrative and Civic Center (The RACC) served as hubs for a day filled with events.
The park hosted a vendor fair and “Circle of Trees” decorating competition, while at the nearby Old Liberty Theater, Santa Claus greeted families and took pictures. Musicians and singers from Ridgefield middle and high schools performed on the main stage throughout the day.
The RACC hosted Santa earlier that morning for breakfast and the Chickadee Bazaar in the center’s gym.
Both The RACC and the Ridgefield Community Library featured kids’ crafts, while the Ridgefield Art Association put on a gingerbread house contest at the library. Union Ridge Elementary hosted its own bazaar in the morning, which featured student-created items.
The highlight of the night was the lighting of Ridgefield’s Christmas tree at Overlook Park. Following dance routines by DanceFusion NW, Mayor Jennifer Lindsay led the countdown as a packed crowd spilled out onto Main Avenue and counted along with her.
“Hometown Celebration is one of my favorite days of the entire year,” Lindsay said.
The mayor said the turnout of this year’s event may have been the biggest the city has ever experienced.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had the plaza this full,” Lindsay said. “I don’t think it could have gone any better.”
It was Lindsay’s first time as master of ceremonies for the tree lighting, having taken on the role of mayor earlier this year. She said the city’s events and public works staff ensured the lighting ran smoothly.
The big tree at the park pavilion wasn’t the only light display, as the park’s walking path hosted entries for this year’s Circle of Trees.
The trees are sponsored by different businesses and community groups. The contest began in 2020 during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, and began at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, Lindsay said. At that time, attendees drove their cars along the lined-up street decked with trees, though in subsequent years, the contest moved to Overlook Park.
“It was so popular that we decided to keep it going,” Lindsay said.
The packed pavilion, and the whole day’s worth of events for the Hometown Celebration, showed off the city’s festive support and was indicative of the community’s response to all of its offerings, the mayor said.
“Ridgefield just really shows up and we just love our community events,” Lindsay said.
