Friday, December 3

HANNUKKAH BEGINS AT SUNSET

Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership, 7:30 am, breakfast; 7:45 am, business meeting, conference room, Connecticut Light and Power Newtown Service Center, Barnabas Road, Hawleyville.

15th Annual Newtown Tree Lighting Ceremony, 6:30 pm, Ram Pasture, at Elm Drive & Hawley Lane, visits with Santa & Mrs Claus, caroling, music by NHS groups, and official lighting of Newtown’s Christmas tree (Matthew Curtiss House will be open by historical society for one hour after ceremony with hot cider for all visitors).

Saturday, December 4

39th Annual Pancake Day, 8 am to 2 pm, Alexandria Room, Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room, 45 Main Street, $5 for adults, $3 children 10 and under, visit with Santa, proceeds go to local charitable organizations, sponsored by Newtown Rotary Club.

Breakfast with Santa, 8:30 to 9:30 am, Newtown Middle School cafeteria, magic show, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Annual Garden Club of Newtown Christmas Greens Sale, 9 am-3 pm, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, fresh evergreen and grapevine wreaths, swags and holiday arrangements by members, also guest appearance and book signings by columnist and gardening expert Rea Lubar Duncan (10 am-2 pm); 270-6991.

“The Children’s Tree” workshop, 10 am-2 pm, C.H. Booth Library Children’s Department, 25 Main Street, free, children invited to work on simple ornaments and paper chains (outdoors if weather permits) for one of library’s evergreens, music by Montessori Glee Club, hot chocolate and cookies provided; 426-8928, 203/929-6962.

Sunday, December 5

14th Annual Newtown Holiday Festival, 11 am-5 pm, on and around Main Street (Town Hall, Newtown Meeting House, Trinity Church, Booth Library, et al), tickets $12/advance ($15/day of), $8/advance (seniors and children), historic homes tour, Victorian Tea Room and New England Cafe, Festival of Trees, music and dance performances, children’s crafts workshops, Nutcracker Ballet performance, etc; 426-0522, 270-0019.

Matthew Curtiss House Holiday Open House, 11 am-5 pm, 44 Main Street, free, 18th Century house-museum open for public tours, decorated by volunteers including Girl Scouts, open hearth cooking, book signings with Town Historian Dan Cruson, refreshments, etc; 426-5937.

Tours of Town Hall Murals, 11:30 am, 1, 2 and 3 pm, Edmond Town Hall (meet in lobby), free guided 30-minute tours and discussions with artist David Merrill.

NHS High School Singers’ Annual Madrigal Feast, social hour begins 5 pm, dinner and program begins 6 pm, The Stony Hill Inn, Danbury-Newtown Road, Bethel, tickets ($32) include performance by high school’s Elizabethan-style costumed singers, instrumentalists and humorous entertainers coupled with full dinner; 270-1129.

Monday, December 6

Sandy Hook Elementary School Annual Fall Book Fair, 7:30 am-5 pm, school’s cafeteria, Dickinson Drive, classic and recent best-sellers in adult and children’s categories.

Board of Selectmen, 7:30 pm, Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Tuesday, December 7

Sandy Hook Elementary School Annual Fall Book Fair (final day), 7:30 am-1 pm, school’s cafeteria, Dickinson Drive, classic and recent best-sellers in adult and children’s categories.

Visiting Nurse Association of Newtown, 9:30 am, Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

Newtown Public Safety Committee, 5 pm, Garner Correctional Institution, 50 Nunnawauk Road.

Board of Education, 7:30 pm, Newtown Middle School, school board conference room, 11 Queen Street.

Borough Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 pm, Town Hall South, 3 Main Street.

Police Commission, 7:30 pm, police station, 3 Main Street.

Lake Lillinonah Authority, 7:30 pm, Bridgewater Town Hall, Route 133, Bridgewater Center.

Lake Zoar Authority, 7:30 pm, Southbury Town Hall, 501 Main Street South, Southbury.

Newtown Zoning Board of Appeals, 8 pm, town land use office, Canaan House, Fairfield Hills.

Wednesday, December 8

Conservation Commission, 7:30 pm, town offices, Canaan House, Fairfield Hills.

Thursday, December 9

Water Pollution Control Authority, 7:30 pm, sewage treatment plant, Commerce Road.

Friday, December 10

 Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials, 12:30 pm, Brookfield Town Hall, Pocono Road, Brookfield.

Sandy Hook Tree Lighting, 6 pm, corner of Church Hill Road and Berkshire Road (at old post office building), Santa’s arrival will be followed by lighting, then hot chocolate and coffee available inside Masonic Lodge; 426-4217, 267-5445.

Connecticut Choral Society’s Holiday Concert, 8 pm, St Rose of Lima, 40 Church Hill Road, tickets $15, $8 children/students, holiday performance will include works of Poulenc (Gloria), Plainchant and Biebl Ave Maria); 263-7603, 800/555-5250.