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Let Christmas begin

Hundreds pack Main

“Thanksgiving’s over, let’s get started on Christmas.”

That has been Durango’s motto for decades as the town officially lights its tree and children get their first sighting of Santa the day after chowing down on turkey.

At least 600 people either joined the group caroling down Main Avenue or went to Buckley Park, where the procession ended after following Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus in their horse-drawn carriage.

The Philpott family is on its third generation joining the festivities.

“Whenever the grandchildren are in town, we come,” said Margo Philpott, who used to bring her children. She was joined by son and daughter-in-law Jim and Erin Philpott from Seattle and their children, Mason, 5, and Colby, 3.

“When they were planning to come, our kids asked, ‘Do they still do that?’” Margo Philpott said.

Santa couldn’t get there fast enough for Ben Stewart-McVeigh, 3, who came to the park with his parents, Katie Stewart and Dan McVeigh, and little sister, Lilah, 15 months. Horsies were at the top of his list.

Sandy and Larry Turner also had three generations at the event, with daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Brian Blouin, and their children Owen, 5, and Riggs, 14 months.

“Are you going to get that for your kids, too?” Owen asked this reporter after announcing he wanted a Jake and the Neverland Pirate Ship for Christmas.

When told he would be in a newspaper story, Owen said, “Will Santa read it there?”

The Durango Herald doesn’t currently mail a subscription to the North Pole, but there’s always the website.



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