The 31st Annual Newtown Holiday Festival will be presented along Main Street on Sunday, December 4, from 11 am until 4 pm.

One of the area's longest running holiday events, the festival is also a benefit for Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS).

The festival will feature The Festival of Trees, a collection of decorated wreaths and mini trees, with most items to be raffled, and one table of silent auction items; Holiday Tea, where refreshments will be served and live music will be performed; a Kids Corner, with children's activities and an interactive train display; and two performances, at noon and 2 pm, of Nutcracker Ballet by Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet & Voice, all taking place within Edmond Town Hall, at 45 Main Street.

There will also be narrated historical trolley rides within the historic Borough of Newtown. Narrated by Town Historian Dan Cruson, the 30-minute tours will depart from and return to the courtyard of Edmond Town Hall at 11:15 am, and 12:15, 2 and 3 pm. Seating is first-come, first-served for the trolley tours.

The historic building will also the be starting point for children's Polar Express rides along Main Street, traveling toward Whoville. Polar Express will depart from the rear parking lot of the former town hall.

Rides will end at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, where children and families will be greeted by The Grinch and his dog Max (1 to 3 pm).

Polar Express tickets are $3 each; they are not part of the Holiday Festival ticket. Those tickets will be available at the ticket window inside Edmond Town Hall, and in the parking lot prior to each ride.

Newtown's library will also be hosting a Gingerbread House Contest. This year's theme is "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." Entries - in two age categories this year - will be judged by mid-Sunday afternoon.

Trinity Episcopal Church, at 36 Main Street, will be hosting a cafe from noon until 2 pm, with hot drinks, meatball grinders, soup, and gingerbread available.

The church will also offer its annual Service of Lessons & Carols on Sunday, at 2 pm.

Historic house tours on Main Street will be ongoing (see below for details about the homes).

A free shuttle bus loop will be available for Holiday Festival attendees. The bus is expected to run about every 15-20 minutes, according to the Holiday Festival booklet.

Historic Homes

Three private homes will be open for Holiday Festival ticket holders on Sunday: 6 West Street, 28 Main Street, and 29 Main Street. Docents will be posted at each location to guide visitors through each dwelling, and share information about their past.

The home at 6 West Street is a mid-19th Century Colonial with a mid-20th Century addition. Although it has been renovated over the years, there are still many original features in the house such as floor boards, beams, barn wood, and some original antique windows.

The house first appears on the tax records around 1869; however, a previous structure such as a barn was known to have been toward the front of the property first. Many in town know of the house and of the longest owner of record, Harvey Hubbell IV, an avid hot air balloonist and longtime resident of Newtown.

The property's current owner is Linda Burhance.

The house at 28 Main Street was, by all indications, built while George Washington was President. It has been described as a typical vernacular New England dwelling of the 1790s.

The house occupies one of the land parcels laid out at Newtown's founding in the early 18th Century. Its post and beam construction remains visible in hand-hewn timbers, some still bearing bark, in the attic and basement.

There are four working fireplaces, the largest of which is in what is now the dining room. That fireplace is still equipped with iron racks formerly used for cooking.

The smallest fireplace heated what was known as the birthing room, now used as a ground floor library-office.

Diagonally across the street, and to the north a smidge, is The Dana-Holcombe House at 29 Main Street.

The name of the house has as its source two legacies. Dana is the maiden surname of the lady of the house, Jane Vouros, while Holcombe honors Josephine Holcombe, a late dear friend of Jane and her husband John.

The Dana-Holcombe House is a rebirth of the hospitality experience at that location. The Yankee Drover stood at that property for 131 years, but was destroyed by fire in 1981. The Vouroses oversaw the construction of The Dana-Holcombe House, which began in 2004, with a dream to continue to historic legacy of hospitality and service.

The house operates as a classic New England inn, an intimate catering facility, and conference center. Its intimate dining room and adjacent living and library rooms have been designed to accommodate business meetings, public functions, wedding receptions, and special celebrations. Its picturesque yard includes comfortable tiered patios, rose gardens, and perennial gardens.

Guests have their choice of six rooms for overnight accommodations.

Admission & Tickets

Admission to Holiday Festival events is by ticket, which this year is $12 for individuals and $25 for families (two adults and two children). Each additional child is $5.

Tickets can be purchased at Newtown Youth & Family Services, 13 Berkshire Road; or online through newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.

Tickets will also be available for purchase on Sunday.

Proceeds from the Holiday Festival will assist with financial assistance for NYFS programs and services.

For additional information call 203-270-4335 or visit the NYFS website.

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