Sandy Hook Center

Is Alight For Holidays

By Kendra Bobowick

Candlelight and candy canes. Fresh kettle corn and Christmas carols.

Tastes and sounds of this holiday season added to guests’ moods in the hours before the tree on the corner of Washington Avenue and Church Hills road was illuminated December 1.

As 6 pm neared, Mary Fellows, the unofficial host for Saturday evening’s Sandy Hook Tree Lighting Celebration, used a microphone to reach everyone in the crowd with her message just before the lights went on.

“Sandy Hook is the little town inside a little town,” she said. “All the vendors and businesses are terrific.” Recognizing the professionals and residents gathered around the tree, she continued, “Little communities survive because of you. Thank you for coming out. I know it’s freezing.”

From 4:30 pm on, festivities included caroling and karaoke. Young Annika Alexander sang along to “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and quickly, her mother Karen said, “But she didn’t [see mommy kissing Santa Claus].”

Earlier in the evening visitors had followed a trail of luminaries lighting the sidewalks in Sandy Hook center leading them to the Little Green Barn Gallery, which is open through January 5. Standing outside her gallery, Ms Fellows greeted families out to enjoy the seventh annual celebration. On the gallery steps Cleo Fellows-Conk started families off with a taste of freeze dried snow, or Dean Haynes of Bee Kissed Kettle Corn offered guests a warmer snack and Riley Samson dressed as Santa Kid greeted parents and children as the groups traveled downhill toward The Toy Tree.

Across the street, Sandy Hook Hair Co. owner Bonnie Fredericks welcomed guests to a buffet arranged inside her salon. From her table filled with chips, crackers, dips, and other finger foods, residents could step next door to see Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor LLC owners Jill and Mike Kerler. At a small booth toward the back of the shop, the Kerlers poured samples of reds and white wines during the time before the tree lighting.

Around the corner and past DJ Gary Shipp, who played the jingling holiday tunes and offered the microphone to children, our green house opened its doors to residents who would soon stand outside to watch the tree light up with vibrant strands of lights.

A bit different from previous years, the 2007 tree lighting activities involved a handful of downtown shops, buffets, a sip of wine, popcorn hot from the kettle, hand-spun “freeze-dried snow” cotton candy, and a cast of Christmas characters. With his nose blinking and leading the way, Rudolph joined Santa Claus as he handed candy to children out to see the tree light at 6 pm.

When the time came for the lights to go on, voices joined and shouted, “Ten, nine, eight…!” From there the count wound down, and 2-year-old Madison Kistner imitated the motions her mother Alison made with her fingers as the number she held up dwindled from four to three to two, and finally to one.