Merry-making

The inaugural edition of a Very Merry Tucumcari on Saturday also could be described as a Very Busy, Very Blustery Tucumcari.

Before a tree-lighting ceremony at dusk Saturday in a windswept and chilly Historic Railroad Depot Plaza, Tucumcari MainStreet executive director Connie Loveland said: "We're going to sing a few carols ..."

She briefly stopped, then corrected herself.

"OK, one carol," she said, laughing.

After an abbreviated sing-along of "Jingle Bells," she, Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield and Santa and Mrs. Claus helped count down and throw the switch to the lighting display. On cue, the tree fired up with solar-powered LED and regular holiday lights, along with lights on other trees, fences and the depot itself.

Minutes later in the warmth of the Tucumcari Railroad Museum, Loveland talked about Very Merry Tucumcari festivities she, Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce executive director Carmen Runyan and 18 other volunteers helped bring to fruition.

"For a first-time event, it's gone exceptionally well," Loveland said. "It's my hope it continues to grow, and we can add decorations each year."

Loveland said crowds began to gather 30 minutes before the event's opening at the depot, and parents and children continued to stream into its east wing Saturday afternoon to see Santa and Mrs. Claus, check out treats and crafts by area vendors and hear a reading of the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," better known as "The Night Before Christmas," by KTNM/KQAY radio announcer Russell Braziel.

Each child who visited Santa received a plastic Santa token, good for a free pass for that night's screening of "Frozen 2" at the nearby Odeon Theatre. Loveland said Saturday night a total of 164 tokens were distributed, meaning the event drew hundreds of kids and parents for Santa alone.

Robert Alarcon, one of the vendors in the depot, brought knifes, bottle openers, cooking utensils, decorative feathers and jingle bells he made from cold-rolled steel.

He said he was impressed with what he saw with a Very Merry Tucumcari.

"I think it's going to grow," he said. "It's great for Tucumcari. I think next year you'll see a lot more people here."

Stormy Sena, co-owner of Cigar Band Crafts, also liked what she observed from her table of Christmas crafts.

"They did a really good job," she said. "The decorations are awesome, and the turnout was pretty good."

Paws and Claws Animal Rescue of Quay County set up a kissing booth with a trio of weeks-old puppies, like the booth it erected at the Fired Up festival earlier this year.

"We've sold a few kisses - some stolen and some not," Kathi McClelland, president of the Tucumcari shelter, said of the eager-to-please pups.

The Mom & Daughter Sweets and More booth offered holiday-themed treats, but owner Marissa Garcia said the big sellers were hot coffee and hot cocoa to help visitors ward off a slight chill in the depot - despite the presence of two propane heaters - and for those who'd just came in from the cold.

Ah, yes, the cold. Quay County was buffeted by wind gusts of up to 53 mph, according to data from Tucumcari Municipal Airport. With a high temperature of 47 degrees, that meant a wind-chill index in the 30s virtually all day.

In addition creating discomfort, the wind forced other changes. Several trees decorated by hundreds of ornaments made by Tucumcari Elementary students were moved from the depot's breezeway to inside the Tucumcari Railroad Museum to keep that décor from blowing away.

Plans for Cornerstone First Edition to serve gumbo outside of the depot were scratched because the winds would have wreaked havoc on the restaurant's outside burners. And the main evergreen tree used during the lighting ceremony was reinforced with rebar against the howling winds.

Weather conditions led to other adjustments before the gala began Saturday. The addition of 900 regular electrical lights augmented some of the solar-powered LED lights, donated by the Tucumcari Rotary Club, because bad weather earlier in the week kept the LEDs from being charged sufficiently.

Loveland, who took over as Tucumcari MainStreet's leader in June, has said Very Merry Tucumcari sprang from learning about McAdenville, North Carolina, called "Christmas Town USA" because of its extensive Christmas lighting. McAdenville contains only 650 residents, but it attracts more than 600,000 visitors and $12 million in revenue annually during the holiday season.

That led her to launch a Christmas initiative in Tucumcari, especially when that time of year typically is the tourism off-season.

Loveland said she would recommend a few tweaks for next year's Very Merry Tucumcari, including the reading of Christmas poems at the beginning of the event.

"We'll do that first so it's a build-up to Santa," she said. "And I would like to work with the (railroad) museum to expand our space for the vendors."

She said she also wants to have multiday and community-wide events for Very Merry Tucumcari, including happenings on each weekend before Christmas.

For those who missed Very Merry Tucumcari over the weekend, the decorative lights at Historic Railroad Depot Plaza will be on until about 11 p.m. nightly throughout the holiday season.

This week, downtown Tucumcari will host horse-drawn carriage rides for $5 a person starting at 5 p.m. Friday, along with food vendors serving hot food and drinks amid Christmas music. On Saturday, the city's Route 66 will host the annual Christmas Light Parade at 6 p.m.