News Brief

Winthrop Kicks Off Holidays with Small Town Big Lights Festival

The holiday season officially begins in Winthrop with the “Small Town Big Lights” Holiday Lighting Festival. The free community event is scheduled for Friday, November 28th, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Winthrop Center. The festival, which features vendors starting at 3:00 p.m. , will be highlighted by the annual Tree Lighting with Santa at 5:30 p.m.. The event is proudly sponsored by the Platinum Sponsor, Winthrop Foundation.

Activity Schedule Highlights:

4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Free Photos with Santa.

4:00 p.m.: Victorian Carolers begin.

4:15 p.m.: Cervizzi’s Demo.

4:25 p.m.: Winthrop School Performing Arts (Dancing and Singing).

4:45 p.m.: Jessica Gordon Academy of Performing Arts (Dancing).

5:00 p.m.: DJ and Music.

5:30 p.m.: Tree Lighting with Santa.

Visitors can also enjoy vendor tables (3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) , hot chocolate from Kids and Veterans , and popcorn provided by Harbor City Church. The Chamber table will feature WINTHROPOLY, gift certificates, lighted items, and candy. Additionally, the event will announce the “Winthrop Small Business Sat-Jolly Trolley Hop and Shop”.

100^th Annual Snowflake Fair to be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, Dec. 6,

All are welcome to come browse, shop and enjoy the 100th annual Snowflake Fair at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 222 Bowdoin Street in Winthrop to be held Saturday, Dec. 6.

Holiday-themed offerings for sale will include beautiful jewelry, hearty gift baskets, handmade hats and scarves, blankets, live wreaths & swags, cookies, cards, crafts, and more.

Foor for sale will include homemade goodies, hot dogs, chowder, and dinners-to-go. Our famous Lobster Lunches must be pre-ordered by Wednesday, Dec. 3. Please text or call 617-846-2363 and leave a message.

Free entry and free parking.

ABCC Kicks Off ‘Operation Safe Holidays’ enforcement effort focusing on impaired driving prevention

To ensure safety for everyone in Massachusetts during the holidays, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) will be conducting alcohol enforcement at local bars in Massachusetts cities and towns from Thanksgiving Eve through New Year’s Eve.

In doing so, the ABCC hopes to prevent accidents caused by impaired driving and other alcohol-related harm that often occurs at this time of year. The ABCC will work with municipal police departments and focus enforcement efforts at bars that have been identified as the last to sell alcohol to a convicted drunk driver and other high-risk locations.

“With Operation Safe Holidays, we want to make sure everyone gets to enjoy this time with family and friends, while still staying safe,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, who oversees the ABCC. “Vigilant enforcement and deterring bar owners from over-serving helps prevent tragedies before they occur, protecting everyone within our communities.”

The program is run in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Impaired Driving Crackdown, from Thanksgiving Eve through New Year’s Eve, and is funded through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security – Highway Safety Division.

According to the NHTSA, from 2017 to 2021, 137 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.), also known as ‘Blackout Wednesday,’ were alcohol impaired. In 2021 alone, 36 drivers were in fatal crashes on that day. Also, from 2017 to 2021, young drivers ages 21-24 represented the largest percentage of drivers involved in deadly crashes. The message before Thanksgiving is simple – the NHTSA says to stop the blackout trend on Wednesday.

Alcohol is involved in 40 percent of traffic crash fatalities, resulting in 17,013 fatalities and injuring an estimated 275,000 people annually. Data indicates that well over 50% of impaired driving arrests originate at bars.