I genuinely have not seen the Hamptons community come together with so much energy since the pandemic began. In Southampton Village on Saturday, the crowds of smiles and laughter kept the village warm against the sharp cold.
It was all just so great.
The 25th Annual Firetruck Parade of Lights was an absolute fanfare, with mostly standing room only everywhere you went for adults and kids alike to enjoy the festivities. In the background, no matter where you were, you could hear holiday music as the Fire Department got everybody in the Christmas spirit. “This one really felt good,” Mayor Jesse Warren told me after giving a speech in Agawam Park. “Be sure to shop local.”
Christmas Carols were sung by “Vosh” and “Mosh” and right as the Christmas tree lights went up, everyone cheered while fifteen-minute fireworks display shot up into the sky to the ohhh’s and ahh’s of what felt like the entire village and then some. The show was festive, fun, and a complete escape from what has been a very tough fear for everyone in America.
You could not help but notice the Disney World feeling that was flowing through the town. Everything felt as it should be.
As you walked down Main Street, shops displayed ice sculptures proudly in front of their stores while restaurants started to fill up and police officers on motorcycles road waving and smiling. Some diners were opting to eat outside under heated lamps. “It’s not so bad, I’m quite warm actually,” said one diner in front of Argento’s restaurant.
This was winter in the Hamptons done right. Happy Holidays.
