ROCKLAND — Santa Claus enjoyed breakfast with adoring children on the morning of Nov. 27, at the Eclipse Restaurant in the Trade Winds, just like he's done for the last 14 years. The event brought closure to this year’s Festival of Lights Celebration, put on by Rockland Main Street Inc., which culminated over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Bixby and Company sponsored the breakfast, and Eclipse hosted it.

Gordon Page, director of Rockland Main Street, said Breakfast with Santa predates parts of the Festival of Lights event.

"It's been 14 or 15 years," he said. "It began with the Liberty family offering this particular space at the Trade Winds and it has evolved with the new ownership of this restaurant, Kathleen and Kevin LaBree, and their Eclipse Restaurant, to create an event for families that is warm and cozy."

Santa was there, of course, but so too was face painting by Beth McKinney, while scores of families enjoyed sausage and pancakes with warm maple syrup, juice, coffee, milk and hot chocolate from Bixby.

"It was a little wet on Friday night for the tree lighting," said Page. "I was really impressed with the tenacity of the families who wanted to stick it out. They came with raincoats and slickers and umbrellas. The kids weren't daunted at all."

Santa Claus arrived by a Rockland fire truck, and he joined Rockland City Councilor Valli Geiger on stage to throw the switch and light the tree to applause and cheers.

"That was at 6 p.m. and the kids went wild," he said. "We agonized for about 72 hours about whether to cancel the parade because of the weather forecast. We made the decision to go for it and it was the correct decision. The crowds were bigger than I can remember at any one of these parades."

Kathleen Labree said it was a great turnout for Santa.

"Every single year it seems to get bigger," she said. "This is our fourth Christmas breakfast and we're getting pretty good at it. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here. This time of year the restaurant is warm and glowing and I just love putting up all these decorations."