Mayor’s Corner

The Final Stretch of 2026

Greetings, Hudson. I hope everyone is gearing up for the year-end holiday season, both within your own homes, with family & friends and enjoying the many special events that help make Hudson such a special and charming community.

This year’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. As citizens of this great nation, our right to vote is one of our most fundamental civil rights and an essential expression of our civic responsibility. I hope you have already exercised that right, or if you are reading this before the polls close, that you will make your voice heard by casting your vote on the candidates and issues before you.

Looking towards the end of the month, one of Hudson’s most cherished community traditions will soon be upon us! Our annual Caroling & Lighting of the Greens will take place on Friday, Nov. 27, in the late afternoon on the Downtown Gazebo Green. Turn to our participating local organizations and the city for additional details. The Caroling on the Green tradition began in 1945 through the efforts of Merrill Bolton Wilcox, and the Lighting of the Greens began in 1948 with Mary Lou Morse wrapping a single pine tree with holiday lights. We will also continue the increasingly popular and hopefully new tradition of throwing the big red switch to illuminate the greens. Please note, we are working on some special additions to make this year’s celebration even more magical, so be sure to mark your calendars!

Once again this year, the city of Hudson will be publishing our Holiday Gift Guide. Look for a hard copy in your mailbox, at the visitors center or at city hall. This guide showcases our unique town and the wonderful local merchants who play such an important role in creating and maintaining the fabric of our community. Please consider making Live-Love-Local more than just a holiday-season tradition by supporting our local businesses 365 days a year.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the residents and community members who submitted nominations for my latest kindness initiative, “5 Things for 7 Months.” We received a wonderful response, resulting in so many deserving nominations. As such, we will soon be wrapping up this initiative and announcing the winner for October, our final month. Congratulations to all of our past winners and to everyone who was nominated. Our community is stronger when we rally around our shared values, support one another and lead with Kindness.

On a final note and as colder weather and shorter daylight hours encourage us to spend more time indoors, I hope that you will make time to stay active, eat healthier (remember, balance is key!) and find one or two ways to reduce stress and relax a little more. Enjoy life, cherish time with family & friends, and take advantage of everything Hudson has to offer.

Be well, be kind, value people over politics and have a wonderful finish to 2026.

Cheers,

-Jeff