Santa Claus is coming to town — and local firefighters, police and volunteers across Newport County will help make sure he gets there.
Portsmouth, Jamestown, Newport, and Middletown are gearing up to escort Santa through area neighborhoods throughout December, bringing candy canes, holiday cheer, and a chance for children to catch a glimpse of the man in red.
Portsmouth’s volunteer-run Santa’s Tour launched Dec. 1 and will run for eight nights, skipping Sundays and inclement weather. Two routes — north and south — run simultaneously each evening, with Santa departing between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Residents can find neighborhood maps on the Santa’s Tour Facebook page and follow along on Instagram for nightly updates.
Jamestown’s tradition features Santa riding the fire department’s vintage 1947 fire engine through town Dec. 3-17. The Jamestown Fire Department will post a new Santa Tracker link to its Facebook page each night along with the schedule and route map.
In Newport, Santa will ride with fire and police personnel on four nights: Dec. 9, Dec. 11, Dec. 16 and Dec. 18. He will depart from Fire Station No. 2 on Old Fort Road at 5 p.m. each evening, with neighborhood visits beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Newport schedule covers different sections of the city each night:
Dec. 9: The north end west of Broadway, from Touro Street to One Mile Corner, including Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard, Van Zandt Avenue, Bedlow Avenue and Newport Heights.
Dec. 11: The north end east of Broadway and Spring Street, from Memorial Boulevard to the Middletown line, including Kay Street, Vernon Avenue, Bliss Road and Eustis Avenue.
Dec. 16: The south end west of Spring Street to Fort Adams and Touro Street to Harrison Avenue, including the Historic Fifth Ward.
Dec. 18: The southeast end and Point section, east of Spring Street to Bellevue Avenue and Annandale Road, plus Bayside Village and Admiralty neighborhoods.
Residents can track Santa’s progress via the Glympse App on the Newport Fire Department’s Facebook page. More information is available at CityofNewport.com/SantasRide.
In Middletown, firefighters are bringing back their own Santa escort from Dec. 8-19, starting at 5 p.m. nightly. The neighborhood schedule is being finalized; residents should follow the Middletown RI Firefighters Local 1933 on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
All visits across the four communities are weather dependent.
Parents are reminded to keep children on the sidewalk and accompanied by an adult. Santa will not stop for photographs along the Newport route.