Ramsey Counting Down to 'Home for the Holidays'

Starting at 6 p.m. next Saturday, Dec. 8, Main Street in Ramsey will be shut down to motor vehicle traffic. Shops will lights up their holiday decorations, some will serve sweet treats and offer special deals, and residents will gather along the borough’s downtown area for the annual ‘Home for the Holidays’ celebration.

Now in its eighth year, the celebration is organized by the Ramsey Volunteer Fire Department. Home for the Holidays Chair RFD Chief Randy Sterbinsky said he anticipates over 4,000 people will attend this year’s event.

In 2005, “we wanted to do something that would give back to the community,” Sterbinsky said. “The fire department is made up of family-minded people, so we thought this would be a nice event for families in town. We had no idea it would get to be as big as it is.”

Residents have come to expect an exciting line-up at Home for the Holidays, and it will all be back this year:

• Santa Claus will be stationed at the Terrie O'Connor Realtors office at 45 East Main Street starting at 6 p.m. Noodles the Christmas Elf will be with him. Kids should visit noodles for a holiday balloon. “We suggest that parents bring a camera to capture that moment with Santa,” Nancy Bielen of Terrie O’Connor said.
• The Home for the Holidays parade kicks off from the Dater School at 7:15 p.m. The Ramsey schools, fire department, police department, DARE, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, rec leagues and other community groups are all scheduled to have floats in the parade this year. So far, there are about a dozen floats in the parade, but Sterbinsky said groups who want to get involved still have time to sign up.
• The Ramsey Big Blue Marching Band and Bergen County Fire Firefighters Pipe and Drum band will march in the parade, too.
• The parade will end up in front of the fire house, where several groups will put on about half an hour of holiday performances. Look for entertainment from the high school jazz band, Salvation Army band, and a clog dancing troupe, the McLaughlin School of Irish Dancers.
• At about 8:30 p.m., the Ramsey Wind Symphony will give a free concert of holiday songs in the Ramsey High School auditorium. The whole event wraps up by about 9 p.m.
• According to Bielin, the Ramsey Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a toy and coat drive for Oasis in Paterson. Drop offs are at Weichert Realtors, Terrie O'Connor Realtors, State Farm Insurance, Gina Avino Decorators, Kitchens by Rose and Photography by Sky.

The RFD is providing updates about Home for the Holidays on its dedicated Facebook page.

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