NYFS Welcomes Newtown Savings Bank As Holiday Festival Title Sponsor

By Nancy K. Crevier

The 27th Annual Holiday Festival to benefit Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) will return Sunday, December 2, with Newtown Savings Bank as its title sponsor.

“We are appreciative of the generosity that Newtown Savings Bank has shown us in being our title sponsor once again,” said NYFS Executive Director Candice Bohr in a recent press release. “Without their help new activities such as the Amazing Scavenger Hunt would not be able to be implemented into this year’s festival,” she said.

The Holiday Festival organizers are excited about the many events of the day that will help kick off the holiday season in Newtown. In particular, they are pleased that after a one-year hiatus, the popular historic homes tours will return.

This year’s historic homes are at 10 Main Street, 29 Main Street (The Dana-Holcombe House), 50 Main Street, 59 Main Street, and 41 The Boulevard, providing peeks into some of Newtown’s earliest homes. Visitors to 50 Main Street will also find the antique barn behind the property decorated for the season.

“I personally love the house tours, because I love hearing about the history of the homes, and seeing the homes decorated inspires me to pull out my decorations,” said co-chair Kaitlyn Johnson, community coordinator for NYFS.

Edmond Town Hall will again house the Victorian Tea in The Alexandria Room. Baked goods and teas will be available, and the festively decorated room provides a restful break from the day’s activities, for families and friends.

The Edmond Town Hall gymnasium will be the site for a variety of vendors with local crafts, handcrafted jewelry, and even gourmet pumpkin seeds. Look for glittered ornaments and other holiday items from Marketing Time Studio, fused glass art by Heidrun Glass Creations, local honey and maple syrup from My Honey’s Honey, and jewelry by Kathy’s Stones. The Holiday Craft Fair will run from 11 am until 4 pm.

Festivalgoers can enjoy scenes from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker Suite, in the ETH auditorium at noon, or again at 2 pm. Cost of the ballet is $7 per person, without a Holiday Festival ticket.

Down the street, the Festival of the Trees will be on display in the meeting room at C.H. Booth Library. Raffle tickets can be purchased there for a chance to win any of the trees, wreaths, and holiday decorations created by and donated to the event by local residents and organizations.

The second floor of the library will host a mouth-watering display of gingerbread houses, between 11 am and 4 pm. The Gingerbread House Contest is open to individuals, families, and groups. Entries must be brought to the library on Friday, November 30, between 1 and 5 pm, or Saturday, December 1, between 10 am and noon, along with the entry form. Judges will announce winners at 4 pm on Sunday, and decorators do not need to be present to win. NYFS will “rezone” the gingerbread houses not claimed by 10 am Tuesday, December 4. Complete details and entry forms are available at www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.

For baking artists seeking lots of great ideas and know-how to create a winning gingerbread house, a special two-hour class instructed by a master Wilton cake and design instructor will take place on Saturday, November 24, from 10 am to noon, at NYFS, 15 Berkshire Road. Cost for the workshop is $25 per two-person team. Bring materials, or purchase a kit for an additional $10. Registration is at 203-270-4335, by Wednesday, November 21.

New to the Holiday Festival this year is the Amazing Scavenger Hunt, where families can compete in a clue/obstacle challenge-based hunt to find Santa Claus, and take home a prize pack valued at more than $500. Among the prizes are snow tubing, railway museum, and water resort passes, restaurant gift cards, and spa gift certificates.

Family teams can consist of a minimum of one adult and one child, or a maximum of four people. A fee of $25 per team is required, and the fun begins at 11 am, Sunday, December 2, at the office of NYFS, at 15 Berkshire Road. Registration is at 203-426-8103. Details for the Amazing Scavenger Hunt can be found at www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org. A limited number of families can participate, so early registration is encouraged.

“The Holiday Festival is our longest running and second biggest fundraiser for the agency, so we always hope for a good outcome,” Ms Johnson said. “The day is filled with so much to do for everyone of any age. I think that is why it has been so successful, and it’s for a good cause,” she added.

Tickets for the Holiday Festival are available at Everything Newtown, 61 Church Hill Road; C.H. Booth Library at 25 Main Street, The Country Mill at 5 Glen Road, and at the following Newtown Savings Bank locations: Main Street and Sand Hill Plaza, Newtown; Stony Hill Road and Greenwood Avenue, Bethel; Federal Road in Brookfield; Main Street, Monroe; and Main Street, Southbury. The cost is $12 for individuals and $25 for families consisting of two adults and two children. Each additional child is $5. Tickets cover entry fees to the Nutcracker ballet, the Victorian Tea, the Holiday Craft Boutique, The House Tours, and the Festival of Trees.

“The festival is an excellent opportunity for people of all ages to gather together and enjoy festival fun, while giving back to those who could really benefit from a helping hand,” said Festival co-chair Jesse Rosenschein. “Those who participate in and sponsor the festival are contributing to a truly magnificent holiday gift for many.”

NYFS is a nonprofit agency providing clinical services and positive youth development programs to residents of the greater Newtown area.

To find out more about NYFS or the Holiday Festival, call 203-270-4335 or visit www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.