End The Year With The Friends Of Holliston Trails

By Susan Manning
Staff Writer

End of the year with friends and neighbors at the Friends of Holliston Trails Annual First Night Trail Walk. 

According to Gretchen Rice Prieve Chair, First Night Trail Walk, and President, Friends of Holliston Trails, the event is highly anticipated.

“The trail has been called the crown jewel of Holliston and this event invites people to explore the trail in a new way. One of our goals as a nonprofit is to raise awareness of the trail and it’s important to show off the trail in fun ways. Along the walk, we’ll have volunteers staffing fire pits for warmth, entertainment, decorations, and snacks,” she said.

Prieve said the inaugural First Night Trail Walk was 10 years ago and, “We have hosted this event most years since 2013.”

The Trail Walk is Dec. 31, from 5-8 PM. 

With the walk and dinner early, it allows for “time to get outside for fresh air, exercise, and to chat with neighbors early in the evening, leaving plenty of time for more traditional New Year’s celebrations,” said Prieve.

She said over the years, the organization has had different entertainment features to engage walkers of all ages. From live ice sculpture demonstrations to a unicyclist roaming the trail, they try to make it family friendly for all to enjoy.

“This year we will welcome back The Unlikely Strummers, a community-based group of ukulele players. They are sure to get a crowd singing and perhaps even dancing on the trail. In Blair Square we are adding a DJ this year. Erosbooth will bring energy to Blair Square like we’ve never seen with music, lights, and a 3D photo booth. Three Ring Creations is also new to Holliston this year with an LED juggling act to dazzle our youngest walkers,” said Prieve. 

Another favorite are the fire pits along the trails.

“Our fire pit hosts often bring their own, offering to shape this event—bells to ring in the new year, laser light shows, and resolution burning have all been featured along the trail. People have a story—and they integrate that story into the event, making this experience truly unique,” she said.

There will be a variety of snacks along the trail. Many of the fire pits offer snacks—s’mores, trail mix, hot chocolate—and Holliston Boy Scout Troop 73 will grill up hot dogs for walkers in Phipps Tunnel. 

Prieve is excited for the event.

“This is Holliston at its best. It’s a family-friendly, fun way to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Whether a participant walks the entire length of our event or just a short portion, they’ll experience the trail in a way that is unique—visually they’ll see lanterns hanging from Phipps Tunnel, lights lining the trail, and fire pits guiding the way. 

“They may engage by smashing a gong to ring in the New Year, listening to music, talking with neighbors at different fire pit stops, or simply spending time as a family without the distraction of phones and iPads,” she said. 

As an all-volunteer organization, the group depends on neighbors to support this event and are still in need of fire pit hosts. Fire Pit Hosts are responsible for building, maintaining, and extinguishing a fire pit in a specific location along the trail. If anyone is interested in learning more about this volunteer opportunity, email [email protected].

Prieve said “Middlesex Savings Bank is a key sponsor of our 2023 First Night Trail Walk. We’re thankful for their financial support, which allows us to bring more entertainment to our event this year.”

Know before you go

Participants may begin their walk from either Blair Square (corner of Central and Railroad Streets) or Cross Street, to make their way to Phipps Tunnel. The walk from Blair Square to Phipps Tunnel is about 1 mile and the walk from Cross Street to Phipps Tunnel is about 0.25 miles.

Many businesses around Blair Square—CVS, Casey’s Pub, and Depot Package Store specifically—are open for business and we ask that trail walkers do not park in their lots, so they may serve their customers. Parking is available in the following locations: 

• Blair Square parking lot

• Exchange Street municipal parking lot

• Robert Adams Middle School parking lot

• Placentino Elementary School parking lot

• Cross Street parking lot

The event is free of charge to the public. Should walkers wish, there will be three onsite opportunities to donate to Friends of Holliston Trails. 

One thing to note: For the safety of the animals, dogs are not welcome at this event. 

“While our four-legged friends are typically welcome on the trail, we respectfully ask that people leave their dogs at home for this event. In past years we have welcomed more than 3000 walkers, so the trail is crowded. Additionally, the lights, music, and decorations create a lot of stimulation that may frighten animals,” she said.

Friends of Holliston Trails (FOHT) is a registered 501c3 founded in 2012. It was established to support the 6.7-mile rail trail created through years of work by the town of Holliston. 

The FOHT collaborates in close partnership with the town-appointed Holliston Trails Committee (HTC). We’re comprised of volunteers who drive awareness of the trail and fundraise on behalf of trail needs. The money we raise supports trail maintenance, on-trail amenities, and community programming to drive awareness.