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VALLEY — A good crowd was on hand for the Sunday afternoon opening of the Christmas Merry Go Round.

This is the 68th year of this much treasured local Christmas holiday tradition.

The tradition began in 1956 on a youth baseball field across from Fairfax Mill. It was done on a trial basis that first year, and it proved to be so popular that they did it the next year and the next. With everyone looking forward to it as the Christmas holidays approached it soon became an annual tradition, just as the Langdale Nativity had become one in 1948 and the Madonna and Christ Child did in 1961 at the West Point Manufacturing Company Service Division.

The Merry Go Round would be at the same location through 1967. In 1968 it ran on Shawmut Circle for one year before going back to Fairfax the next year. It would take place there every holiday season through 2006 before moving on to Valley Sportsplex in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, a move was made to the tennis courts in front of the Langdale Mill site. It has been there every Christmas season since then.

Something else has taken place every holiday season since 2009. The Herston family has always been first in line on opening day. They get there hours in advance to keep their streak going. It’s up to 16 years now, enough time for the Herston children to be nearing young adulthood.

Standing in line Sunday were mom and dad Katie and Jonathan Herston, and Cari, Zoe, and three-year-old Malachi. Accompanying them was family friend Parker Williams and Martha Herston.

Weather permitting, the Christmas Merry Go Round will be running every day until the current season ends at 5 p.m. EST on Christmas Eve.

Until school is out for the Christmas-New Year’s holidays, the Merry Go Round will run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday through Friday. It will open earlier in the day when school is out for the holidays.

On Saturdays, the hours are 10 a.m. till 9 p.m.; on Sundays it will run from 1 till 5.

A Sleigh the 5K race will be taking place on Saturday, December 14th. It’s scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on the nearby CV Railway Trail.

Santa Claus will be there for photos with the kids on Friday nights and on some weekends.

The King gyro is there to take adventure seekers in their dizzying bubble ride.

People going to the Christmas Merry Go Round are asked to follow the following rules:

• No pets on the Merry Go Round;
• Riders must stay seated while the Merry Go Round is moving;
• No smoking in the sawdust area surrounding the Merry Go Round;
• Please walk while entering and exiting the Merry Go Round;
• Have no food with you while on the Merry Go Round;
• Drinks must have a lid.