Tree Lighting
The annual tree lighting for the City of Torrington will take place on Friday, December 3rd, 2004 at the City Hall beginning at 5:30 pm. This year the ceremony will run in conjunction with the Toy Shower. Music and entertainment will be provided by the Torrington High School band, local favorites the Norwestones, and the Saint Frances School students. Festivities will begin with a greeting from Mayor Owen Quinn. Mrs. Claus will make her grand entrance by horse and carriage provided by Loon Meadow Farm of Norfolk Ct.
Toy Shower
The Torrington Parks and Recreation Commission, in cooperation with 97.3 FM, WZBG Radio, will conduct the annual Toy Shower Day on Friday, December 3rd from 3:00pm to 9:00 pm, at the Warner Theatre, to raise funds to support Christmas Village.
Groups and agencies have been very helpful in recent years in putting together collections and making donations to the Christmas Village. Get your organization to offer some financial help to Christmas Village by calling into the Torrington Parks and Recreation Department on Friday, December 3rd and making a monetary pledge that will help keep this dream alive. Over seventeen thousand people visited Christmas Village last year. Each child was given a gift, visited with Santa and Mrs. Claus, watched the elves busily making toys, visited the near life size Nativity Scene, listened to Christmas Carols and watched Santa’s reindeer play. Everyone going through Christmas Village has hot chocolate available to them through various club efforts. Many organizations, such as civic, business, private and
non-private, public agencies help support the dream.
Come down and visit the Warner Theatre and make a personal pledge, or phone in your pledge by calling 489-2274 or 489-2275. Doors will be open at 3:00 pm. There will be plenty of refreshments and entertainment.
Festivities will begin at approximately 3:30 pm, with a reading of The Night Before Christmas by Torrington’s Mayor Owen Quinn. The following is the list of holiday entertainment:
Select Choirs of Saint Francis School 4:30 pm
Marilyn Plaskiewicz and Dan Rinquette 5:00 pm
Vogel-Wetmore Chorus 6:15 pm
Students from Saint Peter's School 7:30 pm
Mrs. Claus will arrive at the Warner Theatre at 7:00 pm. She will be coming by horse and carriage immediately after the Tree Lighting Ceremony. The horse and carriage is provided by Loon Meadow Farm in Norfolk. While at the Warner, Mrs. Claus will meet children young and old and will be available for photo opportunities. Your pledges for this outstanding Torrington landmark are greatly appreciated in helping keep Carl’s dream alive. We hope to see you there.
Christmas Village to open for 57th Year!!
On Sunday, December 5, 2004 Carl Bozenski’s Christmas Village opens for the fifty-seventh consecutive year. A Parade will be starting at the Armory at 12:00 pm, continuing on Main Street, then up Mason Street. Honor Guard will lead the parade which will consist of a variety of local organizations and entertainment such as Saint Peter's Drum Corp, Saint Francis School, Saint Peter's School, Vogel-Wetmore School, Torrington Parks and Recreation Department's Miss Stacey's classes and alumni, the Torrington High School Band, Midget Football, Cub Scouts, Santa’s Elves, the City Council and Mayor Owen Quinn. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by horse drawn sleigh at approximately by 1:00 pm for the official Ceremony. The horse drawn sleigh is provided by Loon Meadow Farm in Norfolk.
Jack Wallace will host the opening ceremonies, accompanied by Leo Liddle's Band. Kaitlyn Hanlon will sing the National Anthem. Doors to the Village will open at 1:00 pm.
Christmas Village will be open every day thereafter from 1:00 - 8:30pm. On Christmas Eve the Village is open 9:00am to 12:00 pm. A special day for Silent Santa will be Tuesday, December 16 from 5:00 - 8:30 pm when Santa will be “ signing ” for all deaf or hearing impaired visitors, however, everyone is welcome. Mrs. Claus will be visiting Christmas Village again this year. She will be greeting visitors in her new room.
The Mayor and the Parks and Recreation Commission invite everyone to visit the magic that is Carl Bozenski’s Christmas Village!
How Christmas Village Was Born
In 1948, Carl Bozenski, Torrington’s Parks and Recreation Supervisor, invited Santa Claus to spend the three weeks before Christmas at Alvord Playground. Along for the trip from the North Pole came Santa’s reindeer and his helpers. Since that time, Santa has returned here each year. He welcomes his guests while seated on an
elaborate throne in his tinsel decorated parlor and gives each of the children a toy. Christmas Village has brought fame to Torrington as well as joy to it’s many visitors over the past 56 years.
Carl Bozenski was not alone in his dream to keep the spirit of Christmas Village alive. From the Parks and Recreation Commission, Parks and Recreation staff, volunteers, from city officials to representatives of local newspapers and television stations, local merchants, the clubs and fraternal organizations, and from you, the
mothers and fathers of “his” kids. But far ahead of them all is this humble and gentle man, Carl Bozenski. He urged them on with his encouragement to continue creating an atmosphere of Christmas Joy for all to treasure.
Carl himself said “I’m just trying to do something good for Torrington because Torrington has always been so darned good to me.” Following Mr. Bozenski’s death in October 1986, the Village was renamed “Carl Bozenski's Christmas Village” in his honor.
As we celebrate the 57th year, the Parks and Recreation Commission continues to renovate the Village so that we will always make Torrington a special place.
Questions regarding Christmas Village please contact the Torrington Parks and Recreation Department at 489-2274.
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