Nashua Board of Alderman Special Meeting: Holiday Stroll Update (Dec 9, 2025)

A special meeting of the Nashua Board of Alderman was convened on December 9, 2025, at 7:03 p.m. to review the outcomes of the 2025 Holiday Stroll. The session focused on attendance statistics, public feedback, logistical adjustments for future events, and specific vendor compliance issues. President Alderman O'Brien presided, with Mayor Jim Delantis and Corporation Council Steve Bolton present. The meeting addressed both the positive reception of the new riverfront location and concerns regarding accessibility, business impact, and misinformation. The session concluded at 7:36 p.m. without further discussion.

Consent Calendar

• Accepted and placed on file a communication from Laurie Wilshire regarding the calling of the special meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Feedback on Attendance and Logistics: Attendees noted a decline in attendance (24,900) compared to previous years (28,000–30,000), with Alderman Tebow suggesting weather and Alderman Kelly citing cold temperatures as factors. Alderman O'Brien noted that while some business districts remained "dead," others were bustling. Alderman Semin highlighted accessibility challenges for individuals with mobility devices at the new park location due to unexpected stairs.
• Vendor and Business Concerns: Alderman Moran raised concerns about negative feedback received from the public. Alderman Semin specifically queried whether the movement of non-profits to the periphery had negatively impacted foot traffic, noting that some businesses felt the footprint was smaller than previous years.
• Religious and Cultural Participation Misconceptions: Alderman Semin raised concerns about allegations that churches were barred from the event. Alyssa O'Mara clarified that organizations were not excluded based on religion but were prioritized based on offering children's activities. She stated that organizations offering only pamphlet distribution without an activity were not selected to align with a new "rebranding" effort.
• Specific Vendor Disputes: Alderman Moran inquired about a specific vendor dispute. Alyssa O'Mara and Fire Marshal Mike DeVarney detailed a situation where a vendor attempted to use a tent not described in their application, lacked a functional water source, and caused a flood, leading to their decision to withdraw after being offered a partial participation agreement. Alderman Semin clarified that the vendor's application did mention a tent but did not specify its use for food preparation.
• Fire Marshal Safety Oversight: Fire Marshal Mike DeVarney commended the event coordination but noted that four food trucks arrived without required safety equipment, forcing the city to implement alternative safety measures. He expressed satisfaction with the overall coordination despite minor pre-event vendor non-compliance.

Discussion Items

• Event Statistics and Performance: Alyssa O'Mara reported 20 food trucks, 22 non-food vendors, 10 activities, 55 retail participants, and over 50 performances. She noted that while total attendance dropped, the average linger time increased to nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes compared to the usual 1.5 hours.
• Location and Footprint Changes: The event moved the tree lighting to the Riverfront Pavilion Stage and shortened the footprint to the area from Canal Street to Santander Bank to improve traffic flow and public safety. Alderman Tebow and Alderman O'Brien discussed the "cluster" of traffic on Railroad Square and the benefits of the new route for bus access.
• Rebranding and Non-Profit Allocation: The Board discussed the decision to limit non-profit spaces and require activities. Alyssa O'Mara explained that previous non-profit locations at City Hall were underutilized; the new strategy placed them between vendor rows to ensure engagement. Alderman Moran asked if a prayer could be considered a "children's activity," to which O'Mara responded she would take it to her board but noted the decision was based on the nature of the activity.
• Promotion and Marketing: Alyssa O'Mara acknowledged that despite press releases to the Union Leader, Hollis Brookline, the Telegraph, and WMUR, coverage was limited. She proposed a collaborative effort with city officials for future promotions and noted the hiring of a PR specialist to assist. She also noted that word-of-mouth from new attractions (e.g., the trackless train) is expected to boost awareness.
• Operational Adjustments for 2026: Plans were outlined to reduce food trucks to 12–14, increase retail vendors through outreach to holiday fairs, add more attractions (specifically the snow tubing company, which had insufficient tablets for waivers), and move rides further down the side streets to boost visibility for businesses like Paule's Daughter. Alderman O'Brien confirmed that Santa will return to the Hunt Building next year due to completed construction.
• Accessibility and Signage: The failure of some attendees to locate the ice sculptures in Bicentennial Park and the confusion among new residents regarding the event's date were attributed to poor signage and lack of hard-copy distribution compared to previous years.

Key Outcomes

• No formal vote or motion was taken on the update, but the presentation and discussion served as a final review of the 2025 event.
• Actioned Directives:
  • Food Truck Limitation: Reduce the number of food trucks to 12–14 for 2026.
  • Vendor Recruitment: Increase recruitment efforts for retail vendors through holiday fair outreach.
  • Attraction Expansion: Increase the number of attractions and rides, specifically addressing the need for more tablets for the snow tubing company.
  • Route Optimization: Encourage movement of rides further down side streets to increase visibility for peripheral businesses.
  • Marketing Strategy: Initiate collaborative promotional efforts between the event organizers and the City of Nashua.
  • Santa Relocation: Relocate Santa and the lighting ceremony back to the Hunt Building for 2026, subject to the Hunt's request for no music near Santa.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:36 p.m. following a motion by Alderman Kelly.