Marblehead on pace for annual Christmas Walk

MARBLEHEAD – There will be singing and dancing, food and drink, shopping, and, of course, Santa Claus coming to town on a lobster boat, as Marblehead holds its annual Christmas Walk this weekend.”It is basically a celebration of Christmas and the holiday spirit,” said Deb Payson, Marblehead Chamber of Commerce executive director. “Last year, the streets were packed five to 10 people deep, I’ve never seen so many people in town, it was great.”The Marblehead Christmas Walk is in its 44th year and has grown to four days of activities with more than 100 events including a parade, tree lighting, Santa Claus coming by sea, and entertainment. The event is organized by the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the chamber’s local business members.And because the most widespread holiday activity is shopping, the Marblehead community is open for business.Brooks Williams, owner of the Pawsitively Marblehead and doggie-day-care business Creature Comforts, said she has participated in the walk and local chamber of commerce for more than a decade.”Marblehead … has a small but strong business community,” Williams wrote in a message.”The Christmas Walk is an event that ignites creativity, collaboration and a strong sense of community.”Pawsitively Marblehead will have twice the usual number of staff on duty this weekend, and the Atlantic Avenue store’s planned activities demonstrate how local businesses participate in the event.The store’s festivities begin Thursday night with a preview party serving wine and cheese and cookies and cider, and featuring a Trunk Show with Up Country designer dog collars and dog clothing.The store is open for business along with its neighbors on Friday for shopping. Internet dog sensation Ray Charles the Golden Retriever will visit the store Saturday to pose for pictures and sign “paw-to-graphs.”The store’s mascot Salty the dog plans to march in the Christmas Parade leaving State Street Landing at 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Salty will be accompanied by local patrons (both animal and human) of Creature Comforts riding in the doggie-day-care school bus.Santa Claus is the celebrity guest Sunday for portraits with pets – and Williams said the jolly old elf has posed in the past with snakes, rabbits and cats as well as canines.”How can you not have fun?” Williams asked. “There’s a lot of strength in shopping local in Marblehead. Lots of local people bring their families, and we invite clients with children and their pets to ride the bus.”But it’s not just the local retail businesses who participate in the event. The event is also a celebration of the Marblehead community: whether the business, nonprofit, creative or shopping community.To highlight this year’s theme of local children’s groups, Payson and the local business owners recruited much of the entertainment from local organizations – everything from school instrumental and choral groups, to local Irish step dancers from A Dancer’s Dream, to Girl Scouts caroling and historical reenactors in Glover’s Regiment singing sea shanties.Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and NE Moves Mortgage sponsor a free trolley on Saturday and Sunday to carry visitors downtown from parking lots at the high school.The Jewish Community Center of the North Shore, The Jeremiah Lee Mansion and King Hooper Mansion all will be open to the community at times during the weekend.The National Grand Bank hosts the tree lighting Friday, and local nonprofit organizations will be selling goods.The Board of Selectmen and Marblehead native U.S. Rep-elect Seth Moulton will lead the parade.Local optometrist Dr. Keith Taylor was selected as the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce 2014 Person of the Year and gets to flip the switch to light the tree.”I was very flattered – a little embarrassed – but very flattered,” Taylor said. He said he has always tried to emulate his father, also a local optometrist involved in the chamber of commerce, and support the Marblehead business and residential communit