Walden’s municipal square bustled with excitement last Thursday, December 10 during the village’s annual Christmas in the Square, a celebration hosted by the village’s Parks and Recreation Department that sparked residents’ seasonal spirits.

Around 6 p.m., hundreds of attendees filled the square and surrounded its centerpiece: a towering Christmas tree, unlit but still glistening. Between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., several performers sang toe-tapping holiday tunes, featuring musician Kevin Cronin, the Walden Elementary Chorus, and the NY School of Music. At 6:50 p.m., members of the Freedom Road Bible Church hosted a Live Nativity, garnering a large audience as they depicted the birth of Jesus Christ.

During this jolly jamboree, attendees enjoyed refreshments from Thruway Ace Hardware and other vendors, participated in arts and crafts with the Walden PTO, and donated gifts to Operation Dalmatian, a toy drive operated by the Walden Fire Department and the Walden Baptist Church.

At 7:50 p.m., Santa Claus rode into the square on a fire truck and commenced the tree-lighting; the previously gloomy pine tree silhouette flashed a beautiful display of lights and ornaments.

Residents cheered and jumped all around at the sight while Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” blared throughout the square.

From 8 to 9 p.m., residents lined up at St. Andrew’s church to take photos with Santa and received more sweets from the Walden’s Women Club and Walden Community Council, capping off a magical evening for residents and organizers alike.

“It was amazing, we had 750 people in the square,” said Mike Bliss, coordinator of the Parks and Rec Department. “It’s a great, traditional event to bring the community together.”

“This was awesome, and Mike Bliss and the Parks and Rec did a phenomenal job. They picked out the tree,” said John Ramos, mayor of Walden. “You saw all the families out there. We’ve been doing this for 26 years, and we’ll keep doing it.”

“I think it went really well,” said Lauren Hayes, a member of Walden’s Parks and Rec. “We got in the festive mood earlier with the flurries. It’s great to see the families come out.”