Newtown Launches The Holiday Season With A Weekend of Celebrations

Newtown could hardly wait for December to begin before it launched a weekend full of events designed to celebrate the holiday season.

It started, as it always does, on Friday evening in the Ram Pasture with the lighting of the town Christmas Tree, sponsored by the Newtown Chamber of Commerce. The planners of the event tipped their hats to Newtown’s Tercentennial by inviting Town Historian Dan Cruson to flip the switch, illuminating the tree.

With the crowd counting down from 10, a technical glitch delayed the official launch of the season for a moment. But a second countdown seemed to do the trick. The lights went on, and the town’s many public and private celebrations could officially begin.

On Saturday, after a day starting with pancakes served by the Rotary Club in Edmond Town Hall’s Alexandria Room, followed by church sales and commercial celebrations in and around Sandy Hook, people were once again surrounding a Christmas tree waiting for the lights to go on — this time in Sandy Hook Center, and this time without any glitches.

Sunday was the big day of the weekend with the 20th Annual Holiday Festival to benefit the Family Counseling Center. 

Edmond Town Hall, at 45 Main Street, was one center of activity with an antiques show and sale in the gymnasium and a Victorian Tea in the building’s third floor Alexandria Room, where tea drinkers were entertained by young musicians from Newtown’s piano studios. .

Meanwhile in the town hall’s auditorium, two dance performances of the Nutcracker Suite ran through the afternoon. Youngsters were also entertained in the town hall at the Family Workshop where there were special projects to do. Santa even stopped by for a photo session with anyone who was willing to share Christmas wishes.

The Festival of Trees returned once again to the C.H. Booth Library at 25 Main Street. Visitors there purchased raffle tickets vying for a chance to take home trees and wreaths decorated by local groups (garden clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, families) and even a few individuals, along with gift baskets donated by local businesses.

Those looking for a little rest and serenity in the midst of the celebration found it at Trinity Episcopal Church, at 31 Main Street, where there was an Advent Service of Lessons and Carols in the middle of the afternoon.

The highlight of the Holiday Festival, as always, was the tour of private homes. This year, five homes were on the tour, as were the offices of The Newtown Bee. The featured homes belonged to Peggy Jepsen at 17 South Main Street, Bethryn and Robert Rogers at 2 Summit Road, Maura and David Fletcher at 39 Deep Brook Road, Tami and Gil Whitlock at 4 Main Street, and The Dana-Holcombe House, which is home and business of Jane and John Vorous at 29 Main Street.