Mayor Frank Picozzi was fearful of running behind Saturday morning for the first ever winter festival rolling into Apponaug at 9 a.m. He arrived at City Hall shortly after 7:30 to discover the rolling had already started as volunteers and city workers prepared for hundreds of spectators. He also realized in his haste he had forgotten his winter jacket, so he bulked up with lighter garments he had in his office and bought a cheap pair of gloves at Cumberland Farms.

By 10 a.m. and the start of a parade that lined up on the eastbound lane of Veterans Memorial Drive in front of fire and police headquarters, he was shedding some of the layers. It could not have been a better day for the inaugural festival, which Picozzi envisions becoming a tradition made all the more popular with the outdoor skating rink planned for the site of the former City Hall Annex. The city is finalizing specifications for the Warwick Plaza development projected to cost $8 million. Funding is to come from a $5 million congressional earmark grant and $3 million in federal American Rescue Act Program funds.

The site of the future rink was shared by vendors and community organizations from tables where they sold their goods, had activities such as decorating a gingerbread house provided by the House of Hope which told their stories or simply entertained. Food trucks lined the eastern and southern perimeter of the lot. That was just a smattering of the activities that played out in the course of the day.

“Cannons and carols,” was how some organizers billed the event underwritten with an $86,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce.

“I’ve never been so close to the Pawtuxet Rangers,” Picozzi said of Gaspee Days parades, where the Rangers with the muskets and cannon are in the lead and municipal officials are some 20 minutes to a half hour behind.

“Every time it went off, it startled me,” Picozzi said of the cannon. It’s no wonder the Rangers or for that matter the Kentish Guards, the mounted Providence Police and the Shriners were a part of the parade. Picozzi turned over the parade to former Gaspee Days president and parade chair, Gina Dooley. Dooley and her committee selected Pegee Malcom, chair of the state and Warwick Historical Cemeteries Commissions as grand marshal. She was seated in the bed of a restored 1972 Chevy pickup. As the parade stepped off those who had gathered to watch walked to the front of City Hall to see them come down Post Road.

Knowing parking would be an issue, key parade coordinators Susan Baker and Acting Director of Tourism, Culture and Development Elizabeth Dunton planned for a shuttle between Toll Gate High School and the village. The pair also coordinated multiple organizations and activities.  In addition to a display and sale of member works, The Warwick Center of the Arts was host to carolers who shared the bond of graduating from the URI music program. From a table at the center, Warwick resident and retired CCRI professor Roberta Humble, sold her Rhode Island games, books and puzzles in her cause to preserve Rhode Island armories. She was delighted with the response, sending out a friend to get additional materials.

Anne Holst of Clouds Hill Museum in Cowesett was equally pleased with the response. The committee provided Clouds Hill with the makings of holiday arrangements that children and adults could decorate – the decorations were included – and keep for free.  From her table outside the Board of Canvassers in City Hall Holst handed out Cloud’s Hill brochures, discovering many people were learning of the Victorian estate off Post Road for the first time.

City Council Chambers upstairs was also rolling as the site for the Scott School bell choir followed by an abbreviated rendition of the Christmas movie, Shrek the Halls.

Apponaug Library, nestled between City Hall and the arts center, also had movies. In addition, kids could make their own tree decorations. And for those having problems with making decorations, Warwick Library Director Aaron Coutu handed out a cutout Christmas tree with a duplicate green cutout that contained wildflower seeds. Activities were also being held at Warwick Central Baptist Church across the street and at St. Barnabas.

Santa - that’s retired Warwick Firefighter Paul Evans and Mrs. Claus – met admirers for photos that were produced on the spot at no charge. Brief horse and carriage rides around the block were popular. And if you had trouble getting into the spirit of the season there was some snow, too. 

Picozzi said he considered buying a snow machine, but then learned that volunteer Steve Tremblay had bought one for the festival. It was set up on the roof overlooking City Hall entrance and depending on the wind sent a swirl of foam white bubbles on kids who delightedly raced to catch them. They didn’t make for snowballs, but then, who knows what future editions of the Apponaug festival might offer.

On Saturday, Picozzi ducked into his office to eat a sandwich. He said he wouldn’t have been able to do so otherwise, since wherever he went people wanted to talk about how much hey enjoyed the event. On Tuesday he marveled at the volunteerism that went into making the day so successful. In addition to Dunton and Baker, the committee was comprised of Kim Picozzi, Liz Tufts, Lauren Slocum, Aaron Coutu, Danielle Salisbury, Captain Robert Hart, Sgt. Aaron Kay, Chief McMichael, Bev Wiley, Holly Weber, Gina Dooley, Eric Earls, Rick Gallant, Steve Tremblay, Phil Carlucci,

Steven Walker, Richard Caprirolo, Bob Smith and Aaron Mackisey.