A breeze tugged at Sharon Saunders’s hair where she stood at dusk beneath an awning, crating a silhouette against Holcombe Hill Preserve’s horizon.

Decorative white lights twinkled as daylight fell, casting other guests attending the second annual Newtown Forest Association (NFA) Sunset Wine Tasting in a soft light. More than 300 people attended the event on Saturday, September 12, to benefit NFA. More than 300 attendees mingled, sipped wine, and sampled trays of sandwiches and baked goods.

The WVR Jazz Trio added its melodies, while Barbara Kershaw kept a close watch on a painting she intended to win at the night’s silent auction.

Wind toppled a pile of cocktail napkins as Richard Ramaya of Slocum and Sons Inc served wine to Veronica Marr and Barbara and Nick Borrello. Outside the tent and admiring the view from Newtown’s highest point, NFA board member Tim Gagne reached into a tree and picked a pear. One resident recently had an interest in using those pears to make wine, he said. Nodding to the tree on a hilltop overlooking both open fields and meadows, Mr Gagne said, “This is part of why it’s here — interract, pick pears — it’s a connection with nature.”

Sue and John Giglio, who helped sponsor the event, perused silent auction items and tried several of the wines offered that evening. Eyeing other auction items, and pleased with results of her volunteer efforts to help arrange one silent auction table, was Susan Kliczewski.

Near the auction tent and talking with resident Terry Jackson was event chair and NFA member Aaron Coopersmith. He said the evening had been “amazing,” and although a light rain began to fall more heavily as the event concluded at 8 pm, he recalled last year’s abrupt thunder and lightning storm that drove most guests off the hill an hour earlier than the planned end of the evening.

Pleased to see the well-attended evening, he hopes to garner interest in NFA and its efforts. With fewer than 100 members, the private land trust owns and cares for nearly 1,200 acres in Newtown.

Living at a property that borders Holcombe Hill, Mr Jackson often walks the trails.

“You sit on top of this hill; it’s a gem,” he said. NFA has a “beautiful piece of land. They don’t make more land.” Mr Jackson said that part of what makes Newtown special is, “They treasure their land.”

Gathered near a wine tasting table were friends Renee McManus, Nancy Anderson and Bonnie Zahansky. The three often enjoy a sunrise yoga class held at Holcombe Hill. “It’s spectacular,” they agreed.

NFA, a private land trust, recently celebrated 91 years of working to preserve Newtown’s open space. Learn more about the organization at newtownforestassociation.org.