Sutton Chain of Lights

A Quintessential Small Town Christmas Celebration: Sutton Chain of Lights

The Sutton Chain of Lights is one of the most anticipated days of the year for the town, as we welcome visitors from across the region to experience the magic of Christmas within our Sutton studios. Guests are invited to explore our festive decorations, shop our hand-painted chalkware and holiday collections, and enjoy the Yuletide Wine Garden, which features a Christmas-themed cash bar, authentic German baked goods from Frauleins Bakery, and the George’s Coney Island’s hot dog truck. To add to the festive atmosphere, Sam James—recognized from The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show and admired worldwide for his soulful performances—will perform live from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. While the larger town-wide event offers free trolleys and stops at local shops and historic venues throughout Sutton, many visitors look forward to Vaillancourt’s festive destination, and are drawn to the unique combination of fine art, Christmas tradition, and community spirit that has helped defined this celebration for decades.

Sutton Chain of Lights History

In 1992, Gary Vaillancourt worked with the Worcester County Convention & Visitors Bureau (WCCVB) to create the “Chain of Lights” which was a multi-town program where local businesses would coordinate efforts to promote their services. Each event would feature a special lighting ceremony which would link all of Central Massachusetts  as a “Chain of Lights.” During its 1992 kick off, it stretched as far north as Westminster Village Inn and extended through Worcester and Sturbridge Counties. The town of Sutton’s original participation was called the “Christmas Tasting In Sutton” where business leaders from Vaillancourt Folk Art, Pleasant Valley Country Club, Eaton’s Candy, and Known Orchards would pool their resources to rent a trolley that would travel between each business. At Vaillancourt Folk Art, the inaugural year corresponded with the Starlight Foundation fundraiser through the sale of the highly sought-after Starlight Santa. The first “Wassail Tasting” included a meet-and-greet with Tom Bergeron, then of WBZ-TV. As part of the WCCVB’s commitment to the program, the night would conclude with a town-wide celebration at the Common as the Christmas lights are turned on. Since then, many towns throughout Worcester Country has ceased their coordinated celebrations when the WCCVB discontinued the program. Sutton, however, continues to celebrate this event as their own having formed a local committee made up of volunteers, business owners and organizations, giving up countless hours in order to support this town-wide event for the next generation. Since the first year in 1992 with only one trolley and four stops, today there are several trollies among multiple routes, connecting a dozen town business forming a “Chain of Lights” in Sutton.