Santa Claus Is Coming to Town: Annual Visit on Christmas Eve

As town historian David Hubbard wrote in his
“Winthrop Then and Now” column in last week’s Sun-Transcript, the tradition of inviting Santa Claus to tour the town commenced 79 years ago and continues today.

Former Fire Chief Charles Flanagan is credited with directing the enhancement of this event “from its simple beginnings to providing accommodations for Santa and his sleigh to be carried on a fire truck.”

Current Winthrop Fire Chief Paul Flanagan, as well as recent Fire Chiefs Paul Ford and Larry Powers, have made sure that the tradition of Santa’s visit has been maintained.

Winthrop Firefighters Local 1070 has announced the following schedule for Santa Claus’s visit through the Winthrop streets on Christmas Eve (December 24):

4:30 p.m. Start at Deer Island to Tafts, Tafts to Elliot, left on Elliott to Church Square, left on Shirley to Triton, down Triton to Bay View, Bay View to Shirley, left on Shirley to Crystal Cove.

4:50 p.m. Crystal Cove to Park, left on Park to Beacon, right on Beacon to Beacon Circle, down Shirley Drive to Tewksbury, left on Tewksbury to Shirley, right on Shirley to Veterans Road, right on Veterans Road to Locust Street, left on Locust Street.

5:20 p.m. Locust to Revere Street, right on Revere Street to Sagamore, Sagamore to Grovers, left on Grovers, Grovers to Cliff, right on Cliff to Seal Harbor, Seal Harbor to Pond Street.

5:45 p.m. Right on Pond Street to Highland Avenue, right on Highland to Nahant, left on Grovers, Grovers to Highland, right on Highland to Cliff, Cliff to Quincy Avenue, left onto Quincy, Quincy to Upland Road, left on Upland to Revere Street.

6:00 p.m. Left on Revere Street, Revere to Golden Drive, in and out to Golden Drive, right on Revere to Harvard, left on Harvard to Payson, right on Payson to Main.

6:15 p.m. Right on Main to Bowdoin, Left on Bowdoin to Centre, right on Center to Hermon, left on Hermon to Belcher, Belcher to Winthrop, left on Winthrop to Atlantic, left on Atlantic to Hermon.

6:30 p.m. Right on Hermon to Main, right on Main to Winthrop, left on Winthrop to Banks, Banks to Main, right on Main to Pleasant, left on Pleasant to Lincoln, left on Lincoln to Brookfield, right on Brookfield to Pleasant, left on Pleasant to Waldemar, left on Waldemar to Pauline.

7:10 p.m. Right on Pauline to Lowell Road, Lowell to Maple, Maple to Loring, right on Loring to Court, left on Court to Johnson, Johnson to Somerset, left on Somerset.

7:40 p.m. Somerset to Pleasant, right on Pleasant to Bellevue, Bellevue to Johnson, Johnson to Somerset, Somerset to Bartlett Road, Bartlett to Pleasant, right on Pleasant to Cottage Park, left on Cottage Park to Bartlett Parkway, left on Bartlett Parkway to Orlando, Orlando to Bartlett Road, Bartlett to Pleasant, right on Pleasant to Plummer, right on Plummer to Francis, left on Francis to Sunnyside, left on Sunnyside to Pleasant, across Pleasant to Buchanan, Buchanan to Putnam, Putnam to Viking Gardens, Viking Gardens to Putnam to Buchanan, left on Buchanan to Winthrop.

8:25 p.m. Right on Winthrop to Washington, left on Washington to River Road, left on River Road to Chester, left on Chester to Bowdoin, right on Bowdoin to George, left on George to Winthrop, left on Winthrop to Jefferson, Jefferson to Freemont, right on Freemont to Pauline, right on Pauline to Fire Headquarters.

9:00 p.m. Santa heads back to North Pole to load up his sleigh.