Santa Comes To Town

Santa Rolls Into Riverhead On A Yacht

By Annemarie Davin

In most parts of the world, Santa glides in on his sleigh, but this past Saturday, jolly old Saint Nick cruised into Riverhead on a large yacht trimmed with live wreaths and Christmas lights. This celebration was the seventh annual “Santa’s Coming To Town” bonfire on the Peconic Riverfront and was hosted by the Town of Riverhead and Councilman Ed Densieski.

The event started at 4 p.m. with a large bonfire on the Peconic Riverfront while Santa was getting ready to take his journey down the Peconic River. The boat took off from the Riverside Marina and docked on the Riverfront behind the East Ends Arts Council’s area. Dwayne Lewin, the Dock Master of the Riverside Marina, has the honor of picking the boat that Santa would arrive on. This year Mr. Lewin chose the “One Up,” a 1970 Egg Harbor Sedan Cruiser, for the second year in a row. Captain Dan Egert, a Riverhead resident and owner of this beautiful yacht, was at the helm and drove Santa down the Peconic where the townspeople waited with great anticipation.

As they pulled into the dock, the children in the crowd were chanting “Santa! Santa!” and jumped up and down and waved in hopes that they might catch the eye of the big guy in the red suit. I heard one little guy say,” That’s not the real Santa, is it?” as he and his friend leaned in to get a better look. His friend said, “Yes it is! It is!” and then they both chanted in unison as loud as they could “ It’s Santa! We believe! We believe!” as if they felt bad for doubting him for a moment.

Santa walked onto the Riverfront and over to the unlit Christmas Tree. He threw pixie dust onto the tree and magically the tree lit up! The many colored lights shined brightly as the crowd cheered on. You could see the twinkles in the eyes of the children as they walked with Santa over to Santa’s Workshop. They formed a line with their parents waiting for their turn to sit on Santa’s lap, get their photo taken with him and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Another line formed where people waited for a cup of delicious, complimentary hot chocolate to warm them up. Others gathered around the enormous bonfire as they laughed and chatted with friends and family.

This year’s event welcomed with less of a chill in the air and more warmth in the community. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he made a stop in Riverhead this past weekend. If you missed him this year, make sure you show up next year for the eighth annual “Santa’s Coming To Town” where you’re sure to have an evening you’ll remember for a long time to come.