Holiday Festival Is Right Around The Corner

By Shannon Hicks

The 22nd Annual Newtown Holiday Festival will return to a number of buildings on Main Street Sunday, December 2. The festival will run from 11 am until 5 pm, although some events will have winners announced earlier than that.

One of the biggest attractions in years past has been the tour of historic homes in Newtown and Sandy Hook, and this year’s festival will include that offering. Live music will welcome ticketholders into many of the homes, which will have been decorated for the event by local florists and decorators. Details about these private homes will be offered in next week’s Newtown Bee.

One addition to this year’s festival will be a gingerbread house contest that follows the theme of “Scenes of Newtown.” Those entering the contest can drop their entries off at Edmond Town Hall on Saturday, December 1, or on Sunday before 11 am. Winners will be announced at 4 pm.

The gym at Edmond Town Hall, where the gingerbread contest will be set up, will also host children’s and family activities from noon to 3 pm. Santa will be there, too.

The second new event this year will be an adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, coordinated by Beth Agen, which will be performed at Reed Intermediate School. Cristin Carlin, a junior at Newtown High School who was stage manager of the just-completed Importance of Being Earnest, is directing the production which features “about 120 of the finest kids I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with,” Ms Agen said this week.

Admission to Christmas Carol is free with the purchase of a full festival ticket (details follow below), or can be purchased separately at the door for $2.

The Victorian Tea, which offers festival ticket-holders a place to sit and enjoy live music while enjoying hot tea and fresh baked breads and scones, will be in the town hall’s Alexandria Room until 4 pm.

Dancers from Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet will also be back, offering performances of Nutcracker Suite Ballet at 12:30 and 2 pm. Tickets for this event is also through a full festival ticket or a separate admission of $5 at the door.

The Festival of Trees will return to Booth Library, offering decorated tabletop trees, wreaths, and baskets. Festivalgoers will be invited to purchase raffle tickets and place them into a container that corresponds with the item of their choice. Winners will be announced at 4:30.

Tickets for the holiday festival can be purchased in advance at $23 for adults and $18 for senior citizens and children. Prefestival tickets can be purchased, until December 1, at C.H. Booth Library, Drug Center Pharmacy, Newtown Savings Bank locations in Newtown, Bethel, Danbury, Monroe, and Southbury, and Our Green House.

On the day of the festival ticket prices increase to $25 and $20, respectively. The event is a major fundraiser for Newtown Youth & Family Services,

For additional information call NY&FS at 426-4874 extension 22.

There will be a few extra events taking place in town on December 2 that may be attractive to those who are already out and about for the festival.

Some of the merchants from the Sandy Hook Organic Farmers’ Market will be back for a Christmas Organic Craft Fair on Sunday from 11 am until 3 pm. This will be taking place at St John’s Episcopal Church, at 3 Washington Avenue.

Newtown Historical Society will open its headquarters, the Matthew Curtiss House at 44 Main Street, for visits and tours. The public will be welcomed with cookies and cider, and costumed docents will offer tours or answer questions about the historic building.

Trinity Episcopal Church will host its annual Advent Lessons and Carols service at 2 pm. The service is free and open to all, and consists traditionally of Advent scripture readings beginning with Old Testament prophecies and concluding with the Gospel. The readings, proclaimed by various members of the Trinity community, will be interspersed with carols performed by the Adult Choir and Trinity Choristers.

At 4 pm Newtown Choral Society will perform its annual winter holiday concert. Taking place this year at St John’s Episcopal Church in Sandy Hook, the concert program will include Benjamin Harlan’s A Candlelight Christmas; Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata, which will be accompanied by The Newtown High School Brass Quintet; Mozart’s Gloria in Excelsis, and gospel songs of the season.

Tickets are $7 and $5 for seniors and those under age 12. They will be available at the door. Call 426-3769 for more information.