Traditions were honored with turkey dinners, high school football and anticipating the Parade of BIg Balloons.
SPRINGFIELD - Soup kitchens and volunteers in Western Massachusetts served thousands of turkey dinners to those in need of food or in search of companionship on Thanksgiving Day.
Besides eating from plates of turkey, stuffing, vegetables, dessert and more, thousands honored traditions by attending high school football games throughout Western Massachusetts Thursday.
Seasonal traditions continue Friday with the Tower Square Parade of Big Balloons at 11 a.m. here on Main Street from Lyman to Locus street.
Also beginning with Black Friday is the holiday shopping season with the day so named because retailers have come to count on swarms of buyers to push them into profit, or "in the black."
The Bright Nights at Forest Park holiday lighting display in Springfield began its 18th season Wednesday.
Traffic flow was steady with no major accidents reported locally on Interstate 91 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. In Springfield, a man was taken to Baystate Medical Center after his car turned over on its side about 1:30 a.m. at 9 Armory St., officials said.
The largest meal was served in Chicopee. Ronald Belair, chairman of the Thanksgiving Dinner sponsored by the Fairview Knights of Columbus, estimates that this year over 1,000 people were served at the sit-down, white-china event at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Drive.
“I like everything about it,” said Alice Peletier, of Chicopee, as she waited in line with her brother and sister-in-law for the doors to open for what is considered the biggest dinner of its kind in the state. “It’s very good food and we meet lots of nice people.”
“It’s a gorgeous place,” said Juan Ferrer, of Springfield. “And the food his great,” said his girlfriend, Stephanie Criner, of Springfield.
Volunteers from the Fairview Knights also delivered 2,150 Thanksgiving meals to shut-ins, and 400 meals each to Kate’s Kitchen in Holyoke and the Boys and Girls Club in Chicopee.
Close to 300 people turned out for the free, community Thanksgiving dinner put on by Open Pantry at High School of Commerce in Springfield. Among the visitors were two Ms Senior Massachusetts Pageant winners. Ms Senior Massachusetts 1994 Mimi Tanne, of Palmer, a Holocaust survivor, joined Ms Senior Massachusetts 2013 Dianne McCoy, of Springfield, in singing for the crowd.
Aside from a full turkey dinner, guests also got entertained by Chicopee magician Alexander J. Sawicki, who performs under the name Magic Al.
“The turkey is so juicy. It is good,” 42-year-old Lucy R. Munier, of Bancroft Street, said of the Open Pantry holiday dinner. “I like it because it is fun. There are a lot of people, stuff like that. The food is great.”
Munier has attended the dinner for the last several years.
In Holyoke, Kate's Kitchen at 51 Hamilton St. more than two dozen volunteers served more than 150 meals, Executive Director Karen M. Blanchard said.
"We had a wonderful crowd and tons of volunteers," Blanchard said.
Kate’s Kitchen, which is part of Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc., served meals that were provided by the Knights of Columbus of Chicopee, she said.
Not Bread Alone cooked four turkeys for an expected 40 to 60 guests at the First Congregational Church in Amherst. At Edwards Church in Northampton, Manna Soup Kitchen geared up for a much larger crowd, preparing 38 turkeys, 300 pounds of potatoes, 150 pounds of butternut squash, 50 pounds of onions and much more for as many as 200 diners. That’s not counting the 200 or so turkey dinners delivered to homes by 50 volunteer drivers.
Thanksgiving at Edwards Church has become a tradition for many. Bill Nagle’s Honor Court ran the event for many years before Manna took it over five years ago. The local Stop & Shop and Big Y supermarkets donate a cornucopia of desserts and local restaurants such as Spoleto and the Silver Spoon in Easthampton pitch in as well.
At 11:30 a.m., a half hour before the doors opened, the crowd of diners already stretched down the church basement corridor and up the stairs. Chris Wild, of Easthampton, was there with her father, brother and a friend. Wild said he volunteered this year but has been a beneficiary of the feast in the past.
“It was great to have somebody here for me when I needed it,” he said.
Those without a desire to watch NFL football - three games were televised from afternoon to evening - had a choice of marathons on other channels like "The Godfather Parts I and II" on AMC, "I Love Lucy" and "Andy Griffith" on TV Land, "Shrek" on FX and "NCIS" on USA Network.
Reporters Sandra Constantine, Fred Contrada and Patricia Cahill contributed to this story.