Community

Riverhead’s bonfire and holiday celebration to be held Dec. 3

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The annual bonfire and holiday celebration at the riverfront in downtown Riverhead traditionally has been held on the second Saturday of December, Councilman Jim Wooten noted.

But not in this, the annual event’s 17th year. Instead, the celebration, which features a visit from Santa Claus, will be held Dec. 3, the councilman said.

The date was changed to avoid conflict with the third annual Santacon, scheduled for the second Saturday, Dec. 10, Mr. Wooten said.

The Santacon is a pub crawl in which people dressed as Santa Claus can buy a bracelet that entitles them to receive food and drink specials in local restaurants, with proceeds benefitting local charities.

“You can’t have kids going to the wrong Santa Claus,” Mr. Walter said when the Town Board discussed the issue at its work session last Thursday.

The first two years of Santacon have raised money for the soup kitchen Bread and More Inn, the First Congregational Church restoration and Brendan House, a long-term care residence for veterans and civilians with physical and cognitive disabilities.

Mr. Wooten said Santa will arrive for his annual appearance at the bonfire riding in a horse-drawn carriage rather than by boat, as been the case in the past.

The bonfire, which was approved Tuesday, will start at 4 p.m. Dec. 3. The rain date is Dec. 4.

Photo credit: Katharine Schroeder, file

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