Colored Lights, Festive Decorations Beckon Guests

By Kendra Bobowick

The wintry chill in the air on December 3 left rouged spots on revelers’ cheeks as they lined up for the delights along Main Street during the Family Counseling Center’s 21st Annual Holiday Festival. Proceeds will benefit the center’s efforts.

“It’s very unique to small-town New England,” said event co-chair Layne Lescault as she mentioned the many festive activities from traditional theater performances to house tours that shaped the day. The afternoon “adds to the overall ambience of Newtown,” Ms Lescault said, agreeing that the festival and its many events kicks off the holiday season successfully. Chairing the festival along with Ms Lescault was Laura Miller Kurtz.

Sunday’s sunshine caught wisps of breath in the cold air amid children’s laughter as residents gathered on the front steps of the Edmond Town Hall, many waiting to see the Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company’s performance of The Nutcracker Suite. The ballet company is part of the Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet run by Jennifer Johnston. Other groups collected on the steps hoping to get into the lobby and out of the cold to find a seat for the movie, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. New to the festival is this year’s movie, which offered an alternative to the ongoing walking tour between 10 am and 5 pm through professionally decorated homes along Main Street and Mt Pleasant Road.

“It’s something for dad and the kids to do while mom tours the houses,” said Ms Lescault. Other events contributing to the Holiday Festival were the annual Victorian Tea, the Festival of Trees, an antiques show in the gymnasium of town hall, and a Newtown Choral Society Performance at The Meeting House. Trinity Episcopal Church also offered a service of lessons and carols. The afternoon and evening events saw large crowds Ms Lescault said.

“Over the years [the festival] has evolved,” she said. Adding to this past weekend’s attraction was the weather. With crisp, bright days the forecast was good, unlike two nights previous when rain caused officials to postpone the Ram Pasture Tree Lighting on December 1. “The weather Sunday was perfect. It was as good as the weather gets.”

A Variety Of Attractions

The Victorian Tea offered a respite from the cold and a festive time to socialize and enjoy something to eat in the Alexandria Room at town hall. The room’s banquet hall and stage provided seating and entertainment as students took turns at the piano. Dressed as a Victorian lady, Linda Rocco greeted guests, welcoming those on the tour to “stop by and refresh.”

Student volunteers Megan and Jessica Gibbons handed out refreshments.

Several floors below the crowds sipping tea and eating scones were shoppers perusing the more than 20 vendors with antiques for sale at the antiques show. Vendors from Newtown and surrounding towns displayed figurines, jewelry, furniture, and collectables.

Across the street from town hall the historic Matthew Curtiss House restored by the Newtown Historical Society had decorative candles burning in the hearth and docents dressed in 18th Century attire leading the way through the home. Newtown residents Frank and Sandra Navone offered demonstrations of folk art Santa carvings.

Also taking place at the C.H. Booth library was the Festival of Trees raffle. The donated collection of trees, wreaths, and decorations were awarded to winners that afternoon. “The festival is a popular event,” said Ms Lescault. Contributing the items were various groups and individuals including a number of Girl Scout troops, Cub Scout dens, local businesses, and civic organizations.

By far the largest attraction was the house tour, which saw lines of holiday celebrants waiting to walk through the lushly decorated houses on Main Street and Mt Pleasant Road. Adorned with pine-scented candles flickering in windowsills and oranges and lemons tattooed with trails of clove crowning the doorways, residents were treated to the sights and scents of the holiday season. Pineapples were skewered with pins holding ripe cranberries in place along walkways and strands of lights and evergreens wound around handrails and lampposts. Fresh sugar and ginger cookies still hot from the oven sent streams of sweet aromas into the rooms where tinsel dripped off Christmas trees.

In other rooms were bows of evergreens crowding figurines on the fireplace mantel. The holiday décor clothed the windows and rooms of historic homes open for tour as guests clogged Main Street and Edmond Town Hall Sunday to get a glimpse of the season’s glitter.

During the tour, Ms Lescault explained, “People opened their homes and you got the hospitality and feel of the season.” Professional decorators and local sponsors made the elaborate holiday dressing possible. On tour were the homes of Alan and Liz Page at 14 Main Street, decorated by Lynn Herrmann of Decorating Den and sponsored by Century 21 Fine Homes & Estates; the home of Charles and Clare Didier at 34 Main Street decorated by Marilia Rodriguez of Complements Interiors and Window treatments and sponsored by Nanavaty, Nanavaty & Davenport, LLP; the home of Andrew and Colleen Bryant at 78 Main Street decorated by Linda Manna of Newtown Country Mill; home of Alan and Michelle Hankin at 48 Mt Pleasant Road and decorated by Newtown Florist; home of William and Lisa Hintzen of 15 Main Street decorated by Diana Baxter’s Painted Bungalow with the collaboration of Peter’s Imports.

Also open and hosting guests on tour were the historic Edmond Town Hall, a gift from benefactor Mary E. Hawley and named after her great-grandfather Judge William Edmond, Newtown Historical Society’s Matthew Curtiss House, and the C.H. Booth Library.

Greeting guests at 34 Main Street, also referred to as the Balcony House, was festival volunteer Casie Carmody. Among the people in line to view the interior were Cindy Gallatin and Mandy Monaco, who have been enjoying the tour annually. Ms Monaco said, “I get some ideas, and it puts me in the Christmas spirit.” Ginny Donahue stood with friends waiting to enter the house at 15 Main Street. She said, “We have done this every year and we love it.”

Also drawing a crowd of viewers was the Dana-Holcombe House at 29 Main Street, former site of the Yankee Drover Inn that stood on the property for 131 years but burned in 1981. The house, which is new construction and not a restoration, began in 2004 and was conducted by owners John and Jane Vouros who now operate the New England inn.

Since rebuilding and opening the rooms for business, Ms Vouros said, “Last year was the first year that Newtowners got to come in.” As she stuffed her hands into oven mitts and gently switched a tray of cookies from the oven to a cooling rack, she explained that the house is also open to guests with rooms and suites available. Stepping into a den off the front foyer, Ms Vouros flipped through a scrapbook to the photo of a residence in Litchfield saying, “The house is modeled after this tavern and we were able to acquire the plans from the [Litchfield] historical society.” Since last year’s tour, she has made some adjustments to the rooms decked with figurines, lighting, and trees.

“Everyone said it looked so pretty through the windows but they said it needed one more tree to balance the front windows,” she said. The tree in her main entrance was decorated with a theme. The limbs carried ornaments representing her travels through Germany, Greece, Russia, Poland, Australia, and elsewhere.