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‘Epic’ Apponaug Winter Festival Boasts Fun, Food, Parade

[CREDIT: Warwick Police Department] A map of the parade route, parking and carriage rides for the Rolling, Strolling Apponaug Winter Festival.

[CREDIT: Warwick Police Department] A map of the parade route, parking and carriage rides for the Rolling, Strolling Apponaug Winter Festival.
[CREDIT: Warwick Police Department] A map of the parade route, parking and carriage rides for the Rolling, Strolling Apponaug Winter Festival.
WARWICK, RI — The Warwick Tourism Department’s Rolling, Strolling Apponaug Winter Festival Saturday culminates a year of planning with an “epic” day of food trucks, carriage rides, balloon art, face painting, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a parade.

“Warwick’s Winter Festival will be an epic and memorable day, very similar to a Hallmark Holiday movie. The city is excited to host this great family-friendly event and we are hoping this will become an annual tradition for years to come,” said Mayor Frank Picozzi of the event.

The Apponaug Winter Festival will feature vendors, food trucks, live music, horse and carriage rides, balloon art, face painting, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and other family-friendly activities, including a scavenger hunt.

The food trucks, marketplace vendors/community partners, touch-a-trucks, picnic tables and some heaters will be in the City Hall parking lot. Touch-a-trucks will be closest to Veterans Memorial Drive, vendors/community partners in the footprint of the old annex building, food trucks along the side near the ball field, with tables and heaters nearer to city hall, and port-a-johns nearer to the ball field, said Sue Baker, Business Development Planner/Coordinator with the Tourism Department.

Music will be a prominent element of the day.

“We have carolers who will be in the parade and singing throughout the village after the parade arranged through the Warwick Center for the Arts, Scott Elementary School will be doing a bell-ringing performance at noon in council chambers. Warwick Central Baptist Church will have indoor caroling at 11 and 1. And there will be a DJ playing music, making announcements, etc., throughout the day,” Baker said.

People can access the program book online here for full information on all events/activities and location: https://www.warwickri.gov/

There will also be hourly giveaways for people who enter their name the day of the Apponaug Winter Festival or register online. The first 500 people to register receive a holiday magnetic picture frame – perfect for your Santa photo, which you can have taken right at the Santa Station at the festival. People who register are automatically are for a chance to win a Winter Getaway, including a two-night stay in Warwick with a $100 shopping gift card and $100 gift certificate for Apponaug Brewery.
The event is grant-funded through the state.
“The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation graciously approved our full funding request for the festival, which was just shy of $86,000,” Baker said.

APPONAUG WINTER FESTIVAL PARADE

A Christmas/holiday parade, staging at Dunkin Donuts at the Greenwich Avenue roundabout, steps off at 10 a.m. The route follows the Apponaug Circulator roundabouts east, then south on Post Road, then west toward its end point at Warwick City Hall. As for the lineup, Baker kept her cards close.
“We don’t want to ruin the fun and surprises! But we have a great lineup that we’re sure spectators will enjoy,” Baker said.

APPONAUG WINTER FESTIVAL CARRIAGE RIDES

City Hall is also the access point for the carriage rides, which will run in a loop from Post Road down Music Lane, east on College Lane, then back onto Post Road toward City Hall. The carriage rides are free, provided by Remembrance Carriages.

APPONAUG WINTER FESTIVAL FOOD TRUCKS

Get ready for some great food and beverages at the city’s “Strolling Rolling Winter Festival. The following food trucks will be showcasing their favorite treats during the event.

  1. Hot Potato
  2. Pam’s Grill On The Go
  3. Iggy’s RI
  4. Panini Planet
  5. Lil B’s BBQ
  6. Supa Dupa
  7. Food Vibes
  8. RaRa’s Surf Shack
  9. Axelrod’s
  10. Memphis Kelle (Tap Truck)
  11. Hook N Ladder Pizza Co.
  12. Chicked Out Nuggz
  13. FanCheezical Grilled Cheese
  14. BBQ Mas
  15. Friskie Fries
  16. Rise & Grind (Coffee and Food)
  17. Presto Strango (Coffee and Food)
  18. Apponaug Little League (Hot Cocoa and Cookies)

APPONAUG WINTER FESTIVAL ROAD CLOSURES, PARKING NOTES

  • Post Road from the Walgreens Roundabout to the West Shore Road Roundabout will be closed to traffic from 8:30 a.m. until the end of the festival at about 3 p.m.
  • Residents along the south side of Post Road are encouraged to park on Pleasant Street, Prospect Street or Colonial Avenue to allow for access out of the neighborhood during the event.
  • Veterans Memorial Drive east, from the Dunkin Donuts Roundabout at Greenwich Avenue will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. till about 11 a.m. for the Winter Holiday Parade.
  • Westbound West Shore Road traffic will be detoured up Shippee Avenue to Lockhard Avenue until the parade passes Shippee Avenue.
  • Post Road south traffic will not be permitted to travel to West Shore Road during the parade. Motorists are encouraged to use Main Avenue to reach West Shore Road
  • There will be three handicapped-accessible Transwick vans and four school buses generously donated by First Student that will run in a continuous loop from Toll Gate High School into Apponaug and back for the festival.

The rain date is Dec. 10, with no parade.

 

 

Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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