First Selectwoman Tooker gives Thanksgiving Message for Westport
On behalf of the Tooker family – myself, Mo, Jack, Riley and Nicole – I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow we’ll get together with family and friends, share a meal, watch some football, and give thanks for each other and the blessings in our lives.
It’s a day to reflect on what brings us all together as Americans and Westporters. We are fortunate to be part of such a vibrant, beautiful and caring community - a community where we are striving to ensure that everyone feels like they belong.
I am truly grateful for our first responders, our town employees, our teachers and everyone who works and volunteers at our schools, our residents and business owners, and all the volunteers who work tirelessly to support Westport’s cultural and non-profit organizations. You have demonstrated time and again that Westporters will come together to face any challenge with kindness and support for one another.
Thank you, Westport. I wish you a Thanksgiving full of love and gratitude for all things big and small.
Thanksgiving Day Weather Report: Beautiful
Today
Sunny, with a high near 51. Light and variable wind.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind.
Tomorrow
Rain likely, mainly after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of rain before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Northwest wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Thanksgiving Celebration Returns: Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular
A cherished tradition the Sunday before Thanksgiving has returned for the 29th time after a two year absence due to COVID, tens of thousands of people from all over Fairfield and Westchester counties lined the streets of downtown Stamford to marvel at the 15 giant 30' high balloons, listened to marching bands and enjoyed a variety of performing artists. The parade is acknowledged to be one of the largest of it's kind in country. Stamford and Westhill's bands were joined by Trumbull High and New York's Uniondale and Brentwood bands.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Fan favorite balloons including Bob The Builder, Shrek, Scooby Doo, Peppa Pig, Daniel Tiger and many other popular characters required much attention from their handlers as brisk winds posed a challenge for those trying to maneuver their charges through city streets as they carefully threaded past overhead street signs and traffic lights. As usual, the crowd chanting spin, spin, spin added to the handler's difficult task.
What seemed like a small army of clowns walked the entire parade route, delighting children and stopping to give high fives and posing for selfies.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Dance performances were provided by Locust Performing Arts Center, Center Stage Dance Studio, City Center Dance and The Pulse nova jazz groups. Hoop girls also showed their skills to the cord along the route.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Entertainers including new to the parade this year were the beautifully costumed acrobats of New York City based Cirque-tacular Productions and also the cast of the play Something Rotten opening soon at Stamford's Westhill High School who treated viewer to a sneak-peek of their production.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Parade organizers this year invited Stamford native Colin Cosell, announcer for the NY Mets to fill the role of Master of Ceremonies from his position at the reviewing stand as he introduces the many performers and marchers. Among those in attendance were Stamford mayor Caroline Simmons and Ct Attorney General William Tong.
And as always, the conclusion of the parade saw the arrival of Santa and his reindeer ushering in the holiday season.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.