Warren welcomes the holidays Friday night — with light!

Holiday lights will shine over downtown Warren when Marilyn Mathison and many volunteers host the annual Warren Holiday Festival this Friday and Saturday.
Dozens of trees along Water Street that were scheduled to be cut down prior to the party will stay up through the weekend, and the DPW will hang lights at the park at the base of Baker Street. Already, Ms. Mathison has hung some $800 worth of solar lights from utility poles up and down Water Street. And if they have time this week, the DPW will follow suit on some of Water Street’s trees.

See the full schedule of events here

Ms. Mathison and volunteers throw the party every year, accepting donations from local businesses to help pay for the dozens of performers and other events that kick off Friday night and run through Saturday. This year is no different.
The fun begins long before the holiday tree lighting at the Warren Town Hall steps Friday at 7:30 p.m. Baker Street and the area of Water Street surrounding the park will be full of music and entertainment, including fire jugglers, a popular puppet show and Mt. Hope High School bands and chorus.
“Last year went really well,” Ms. Mathison said Monday. “I try not to re-invent the wheel when things go well.”
One of the biggest attractions last year was the Toe Jam Puppet Band, and this year they will play at 6 p.m. at the Old Warren Marina at the base of Church Street. There will be two fire juggling performances on Baker, and many of the area’s notable buildings, including the Masonic Hall, Maxwell House and the Federal Blues, will be open.
The festival will go on, rain or shine.
One thing people should be aware of this year is that while volunteers will have trolleys to help move people around town, the East Bay Chamber of Commerce will also be running trolleys back and forth from Barrington to Bristol, with stops in Warren. Those trolleys are running as part of Small Business Friday, and the event has no relation to the holiday festival. People taking trolleys throughout downtown Warren should make sure they’re not accidentally catching a ride to Bristol, Ms. Mathison said. The holiday festival’s trolleys will be marked.
As soon as the lights are flipped at town hall (probably just after 7:30 p.m.), the night will continue at the Historic Warren Armory on Jefferson Street, where Mike D and the Usual Suspects will play rock ’n roll. The show is free, and beer and wine will be sold.
The events continue Saturday, with dozens of workshops, concerts and open houses across downtown Warren. For a full listing of events, times and places, see .