Date: Fri 27-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CAROLL

Quick Words:

Holida-Festival-house-tour

Full Text:

HOLIDAY FESTIVAL APPROACHING (press release)

The Family Counseling Center's 13th Annual Holiday Festival will take place on

Sunday, December 6, from 10 am to 5 pm in Newtown. This event is centered

around Newtown's quaint Main Street and attracts 1,600 visitors each year.

Proceeds benefit the Family Counseling Center, a United Way supported,

licensed and accredited non-profit family counseling agency serving the

greater Danbury and Southbury area. The majority of the proceeds come from the

purchase of Festival tickets, which provide entry into most of the day's

events.

The festival features a tour of four historic homes, three of which have never

previously been open for public viewing. The tour also includes Trinity Church

and the Matthew Curtis House on historic Main Street, and the office of Bee

Publishing Co., on Church Hill Road.

The house tour begins at 11 am. The first tour home was built in 1901 and is

what is known as the classic box form of the Classical Revival style. Newtown

Florist will decorate this home.

The second home is an 1812 Federal style with gambrel roof and will be

decorated by Steck's Nursery of Bethel. The third home was built in 1784 and

is a New England farmhouse complete with massive central chimney. Lexington

Gardens of Newtown will decorate this home.

The fourth home on the tour is an Eighteenth Century carriage house. An

award-winning renovation took place here in the 1980s. Newtown Country Mill &

Garden Center will decorate the interior; Newtown Farm and Garden Center will

be decorating the exterior.

The festival also hosts an antiques show and sale featuring over 20 quality

dealers with an array of antique specialties for everyone. The antiques show

and sale is in Edmond Town Hall. Admission to the antiques show is free with a

festival ticket or $3 without a festival ticket.

Also located in Edmond Town Hall's Alexandria Room is the Victorian Tea where

visitors can relax and enjoy a cup of tea and a scone, while enjoying live

musical performances during the day. Included in this year's musical

performances are Julie's Piano Workshop, the guitarist Peter Obre, Jim Allen

on piano, singer Mary Jo Duffy, entertainer Lalia Madriguera and students from

the Montessori School, among others.

At Newtown Middle School, a crafts show and sale will feature area

craftspeople with an array of specialty and holiday crafts. Admission to the

crafts show is free, whether visitors are holding festival tickets or not.

Parents can tour homes while their children (ages three through fourth grade)

enjoy the Children's Workshop with activities planned to entertain the

children. Activities include cookie decorating, holiday craftmaking and photos

with Santa Claus.

The Festival of Trees will be located in the newly-renovated C.H. Booth

Library, featuring a tea cup drawing and a silent auction of decorated trees

and wreaths by area civic organizations, shops and individuals. Also located

in the C.H. Booth Library will be a display of beautifully handcrafted dolls

made by Newtown resident Joan Crisona.

Pre-sale tickets are $12 adult, and $8 senior and child. On the day of event

tickets are $15 for adults. Free shuttle buses will run between festival

locations all day. General admission Festival tickets provide entry to all

events.

Tickets may be purchased until December 5 at Elizabeth's Tea Room, Family

Counseling Center, Dr Gellert's office, Drug Center Pharmacy, Newtown Country

Mill, Western Connecticut Federal Credit Union, most branches of Newtown

Savings Bank, and C.H. Booth Library, all in Newtown.

On the day of the event tickets may be purchased at the middle school, C.H.

Booth Library and Edmond Town Hall box office. Festival Program Guides,

providing a map, schedule and information about the homes on the tour and

about historic Newtown will be available to all ticket holders and can be

picked up on festival day at the middle school, Edmond Town Hall and Booth

Library. For more information, contact the center at 203/426-8103.

copy for

EXTRA

HOLIDAY FESTIVAL APPROACHING

The Family Counseling Center's 13th Annual Holiday Festival will take place on

Sunday, December 6, from 10 am to 5 pm in Newtown. This event is centered

around Newtown's quaint Main Street and attracts 1,600 visitors each year.

Proceeds benefit the Family Counseling Center, a United Way supported,

licensed and accredited nonprofit family counseling agency serving the greater

Danbury and Southbury area. The majority of the proceeds come from the

purchase of Festival tickets, which provide entry into most of the day's

events.

The festival features a tour of four historic homes, three of which have never

previously been open for public viewing. The tour also includes Trinity Church

and the Matthew Curtis House on historic Main Street.

The house tour begins at 11 am. The first tour home was built in 1901 and is

what is known as the classic box form of the Classical Revival style. Newtown

Florist will decorate this home.

The second home is an 1812 Federal style with gambrel roof and will be

decorated by Steck's Nursery of Bethel. The third home was built in 1784 and

is a New England farmhouse complete with massive central chimney. Lexington

Gardens of Newtown will decorate this home.

The fourth home on the tour is an Eighteenth Century carriage house. An

award-winning renovation took place here in the 1980s. Newtown Country Mill &

Garden Center will decorate the interior; Newtown Farm and Garden Center will

be decorating the exterior.

The festival also hosts an antiques show and sale featuring over 20 quality

dealers with an array of antique specialties for everyone. The antiques show

and sale is in Edmond Town Hall. Admission to the antiques show is free with a

festival ticket or $3 without a festival ticket.

Also located in Edmond Town Hall's Alexandria Room is the Victorian Tea where

visitors can relax and enjoy a cup of tea and a scone, while enjoying live

musical performances during the day. Included in this year's musical

performances are Julie's Piano Workshop, the guitarist Peter Obre, Jim Allen

on piano, singer Mary Jo Duffy, entertainer Lalia Madriguera and students from

the Montessori School, among others on the schedule.

At Newtown Middle School, a crafts show and sale will feature area

craftspeople with an array of specialty and holiday crafts. Admission to the

crafts show is free, whether visitors are holding festival tickets or not.

Parents can tour homes while their children (ages three through fourth grade)

enjoy the Children's Workshop with activities planned to entertain the

children. Activities include story telling, cookie decorating, holiday

craftmaking and photos with Santa Claus.

The middle school's cafeteria will again be home to the New England Cafe.

Light luncheon fare will be provided by Elizabeth's Tea Room, My Place

Restaurant, Anne's Red Brick Coffee House and Epicurus Catering.

The Festival of Trees will be located in the newly-renovated C.H. Booth

Library, featuring a tea cup drawing and a silent auction of decorated trees

and wreaths by area civic organizations, shops and individuals. This year will

have a section of theme trees done by children.

Also located in the C.H. Booth Library will be a display of beautifully

handcrafted dolls made by Newtown resident Joan Crisona.

Pre-sale tickets are $12 adult, and $8 senior and child. On the day of event

tickets are $15 for adults. Free shuttle buses will run between festival

locations all day. General admission Festival tickets provide entry to all

events.

Tickets may be purchased until December 5 at Elizabeth's Tea Room, Family

Counseling Center, Dr Gellert's office, Drug Center Pharmacy, Newtown Country

Mill, Western Connecticut Federal Credit Union, most branches of Newtown

Savings Bank, and C.H. Booth Library, all in Newtown.

On the day of the event tickets may be purchased at the middle school, C.H.

Booth Library and Edmond Town Hall box office. Festival Program Guides,

providing a map, schedule and information about the homes on the tour and

about historic Newtown will be available to all ticket holders and can be

picked up on festival day at the middle school, Edmond Town Hall and Booth

Library. For more information, contact the center at 203/426-8103.

As has become tradition -- and helpful for festivalgoers -- buses will be

running between the day's events from 11 am to 5 pm. There is no charge to use

the shuttle bus service.