How the Grinch Stole New Bedford’s Clasky Common Park Christmas

The Sears catalog, delivered to homes nationwide in the weeks preceding Christmas, was as anticipated as ol' Santa himself. If you lived in Southern New England, you probably received the Jack and Harry's catalog too.

Both catalogs brimmed cover to cover with photos of toys: bikes, dolls, erector sets, jump ropes, and every gadget and gizmo that appealed to kids in want of presents under the Christmas tree. A not-so-subtle circle around a particular item hinted to Santa what to deliver on Christmas Eve.

Another indication that Christmas was coming was the decorations that made downtown storefront windows sparkle and glimmer as shoppers rushed past wreath-baring street lights to the sound of Salvation Army bells that pierced the cold December air.

What made the Christmas season special for me was the Festival of Lights spread throughout the seven-acre Clasky Common Park, bordered by County and Pleasant Streets.

The festival was magical, featuring an array of wooden structures, animated figures, thousands of lights, Christmas music and Santa Claus. It was amazing.

The festival, which began in December 1952, was discontinued in 1973 after vandals destroyed much of the display and the city lacked funds to replace it.

The Grinch stole Christmas.

The park remained dark for a dozen years until 1985 when the public and private sectors worked cooperatively to raise the money to restore a less elaborate Festival of Lights. The festival has continued ever since.

Since its inception, decorating and lighting the park each Christmas season has been the work of New Bedford City employees, students and faculty from Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.

The Festival of Lights is the spirit of Christmas, wrapped up in an all-sensory presentation that reminds us of the charm and allure of being at home in New Bedford for the holidays.