Newtown traditionally spends one weekend in late November/early December celebrating the holidays, and 2018 is no different.

Three separate tree lightings are planned, a number of groups are hosting special fundraisers, and the 33rd Annual Newtown Holiday Festival returns on Sunday, December 2. The following is a listing of holiday-related activities planned for this weekend.

See the Calendar page for the regular listing of meetings and other events coming up in town.

Friday, November 30

*[naviga:u]SHVFR Christmas Trees Sale[/naviga:u], 3 to 9 pm (earlier by chance), Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue main station, 18-20 Riverside Road, balsam and fraser fir trees, also kissing balls, cemetery boxes, pine roping, and more, presented by and fundraiser for volunteer fire company, continues daily to December 23; 203-270-4392.

*[naviga:u]34th Annual Ram Pasture Tree Lighting[/naviga:u], 6:30 pm, Ram Pasture, Elm Drive at Hawley Road, entertainment begins at 6:30, tree lit at 7, then caroling and visits with Santa and Mrs Claus, light refreshments.

Saturday, December 1

*Rotary Club of Newtown’s [naviga:u]58th Annual Pancake Day[/naviga:u], 8 am to 1 pm, Edmond Town Hall (Alexandria Room), 45 Main Street, $8 adults, $4 under age 10, all-you-can-eat breakfast of fresh cooked pancakes, Sandy Hook Maple Craft Foods syrup, sausage, beverages, and coffee, also live entertainment.

*[naviga:u]SHVFR Christmas Trees Sale[/naviga:u], 9 am to 9 pm, see additional November 30 details.

*Friends of C.H. Booth Library Holiday Book & Gift Sale, 9:30 am to 5 pm, C.H. Booth Library (lower meeting room), 25 Main Street, new and like-new books, also seasonal and non-seasonal gift items, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and more, proceeds benefit town library, continues December 2.

*[naviga:u]Holiday Greens & Gifts Sale[/naviga:u], 9 am to 2 pm, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, fresh wreaths and door swags made from local evergreens and decorated by members of The Garden Club of Newtown, also boxwood trees, kissing balls, yard decorations, hand-painted ornaments, wooden snowmen, and birdhouses, and more, crafted by garden club members, special guest [naviga:u]Nora Murphy (Nora Murphy’s Country House Style)[/naviga:u] will be signing copies of her new release until 11 am, presented by and fundraiser for The Garden Club of Newtown.

*Holiday Gift Boutique Show & Sale, 10 am to 4 pm, 9 Mount Pleasant Terrace, public invited to view works by Newtown artists Joan Pollak, Heidrun Morgan, Rosalind Liljengren, Marilyn Alexander, Anna Marie DeMattei, and Linda Sparaco, and author Ioanna Opidee, for holiday show and sale of unique offerings including driftwood art, glass art, knitted headwear, scarves and gloves, olive oil and goat’s milk soaps, handmade chocolates, and more; 203-426-5176.

*FUN Holiday Celebration, 3 to 6:30 pm, Newtown Congregational Church (Great Room), 14 West Street, free, Families United in Newtown event will offer small gift giveaway of donated items, crafts time, and visit from a certain Jolly Old Elf, reservations requested; [naviga:u]familiesunitedinnewtown.org[/naviga:u].

*17th Annual Sandy Hook Tree Lighting, 4 to 7 pm, Sandy Hook Center, Church Hill Road at Washington Avenue, meet Santa (5 to 6 pm), enjoy karaoke and caroling, tree lighting at 6, bring donation for FAITH Food Pantry and be entered into raffle to light one of two trees, also special offerings by nearby businesses, hosted by Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity.

*Community Holiday Concert: Steel Pan Drum Band and The XY Chromotones, 7 pm, Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street, free concert by steel drum band and Newtown High School’s male a cappella group, also community sing-along, cookie and cocoa/tea reception to follow, also drawing at 8 of winning raffle ticket for Royal Caribbean cruise (tickets $10, winner does not need to be present); 203-426-9024.

Sunday, December 2

*[naviga:u]SHVFR Christmas Trees Sale[/naviga:u], 9 am to 9 pm, see additional November 30 details.

*33rd Annual Holiday Festival, 11 am to 4 pm, on and around Main Street (Edmond Town Hall, C.H. Booth Library, five private homes), $15 adults, $8 children, $30 family four pack (two adults and two children), historic homes walking tour, Nutcracker Suite performances by Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet & Voice (noon & 2 pm, tickets $8 for performances only, at town hall), also Holiday Tea and Kids Tea with Mrs Claus (11 am to noon only, at town hall), Festival of Trees (library), children’s crafts, Letters for Santa, photos with Peanuts Gang (1 to 2 pm), reading of A Charlie Brown Christmas (2 pm) and cookie decorating (2:15 pm, all at library), poinsettia sales, and more, Polar Express rides (separate $3 tickets, purchase day of), proceeds benefit Newtown Youth & Family Services; 203-270-4335.

*Friends of C.H. Booth Library Holiday Book & Gift Sale, 11 am to 5 pm, see December 1 details.

*Newtown Historical Society Holiday Open House, noon to 4 pm, The Matthew Curtiss House, 44 Main Street, free, public invited to visit circa 1750 house that serves as headquarters for historical society, which will be decorated in traditional styles, docents available to lead tours or answer questions (public welcome to also wander on their own), light refreshments, donations welcomed; 203-426-5937.

*Service of Lessons & Carols, 1 pm, Trinity Church, 36 Main Street, traditional Advent season service will be offered, light refreshments; 203-426-9070.

*Santa Sleigh Rides, 2 to 8 pm, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue main station, 18-20 Riverside Road, free, Tolland firefighters will have an antique sleigh pulled by fire truck covered in Christmas lights and playing holiday music, hot chocolate and cider, donations accepted for Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue; 203-270-4392.

*Newtown Choral Society Holiday Concert, 4 pm, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, $10 adults, $8 students and senior citizens, performance by choir directed by Mary Andreotta, with accompanist Susan Anthony-Klein and guest harpist Annelise Ellars, to include Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols,” other joyous songs of the season, to conclude with sing-along of “Joy to The World”; 203-426-3769.

*Ninth Annual Hawleyville Tree Lighting, 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Barnabas Plaza, 23 Barnabas Road, all invited for annual celebration of the holidays with tree lighting, arrival of Santa and Mrs Claus via Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Department apparatus, entertainment by Dance Etc, refreshments, and more, unwrapped toy or gift donations requested for The Newtown Fund, hosted by Stony Hill Four Corners Association and Hawleyville VFD.