The Holiday Festival Was Smaller, But No Less Charming, Than Years Past

By Shannon Hicks

A major snowstorm that slowly made its way through this area last weekend took its toll on a number of events in and around Newtown. One such event was the 18th Annual Family Counseling Center Holiday Festival.

The good news is, all but one of the festival’s events was held. And the one event that was postponed –– the Holiday Festival Arts & Crafts Show –– has already been rescheduled (see related sidebar).

Regardless of the snow that was dumped on the area by a winter storm, dozens of people showed up on Friday, December 5, for the Holiday Festival Gala at The Amber Room in Danbury, and even more people turned up for Sunday’s grand event on and around Main Street.

“Most people still showed up for the gala,” Holiday Festival Chairman Nancy Obremski said Monday morning. “Those who came seemed fine. Some didn’t seem to be too concerned about the weather, but a lot of people didn’t stay too late, either. For many is was a babysitting issue –– their babysitters didn’t want to stay out too late.”

For Sunday’s festival, those who decided to forge ahead with their plans to attend the antiques show, take their chance at the Festival of Trees, visit the family workshop, take in a ballet performance, stop for some refreshments and/or take part in the house tour all seemed to be doing so with smiles.

While the snow had stopped by the time the festival got underway, Sunday’s still chilly temperatures and winds made it difficult for some of the musicians who were playing on the sidewalks of Main Street. But the high school students who had volunteered their time persevered through the weather, and many passersby offered encouraging smiles.

For one of the most popular events of the festival, the tours of privately owned homes, this year’s low turnout was actually a boom for those attending the tour. Low turnout meant very little waiting, if any, to get into the homes. By 2 pm on Sunday –– three hours into the festival –– only 319 visitors had been recorded at 50 Main Street. Around the corner about ten minutes later, just 204 visitors had been received at 1 Academy Lane.

The low turnout eased the minds somewhat of most homeowners, who were worried about the resulting wet rugs and additional slush that visitors were going to be trekking in. Shane Miller and her husband George purchased 1,000 booties, which all visitors into their home were requested to wear. Additional help also arrived for all homeowners thanks to runner rugs loaned for the day by Red Baron Carpets of Newtown.

This year’s tour also included the residences at 13 Sugar Street, 7 Main Street, and 68 Main Street.

House guides seems to be able to give more time than usual to those on the house tour. Visitors were able to ask questions and admire the hours of work that had gone into decorating each of the homes for a little longer than previous years had allowed. There was more time to admire the work homeowner Shane Miller had put into setting and decorating the dining table at The Glover House (or The Budd House, as many people have taken to calling the historic residence at 50 Main Street), or the handsome antique breakfront in the kitchen another house. In the past, visitors would have been gently urged to keep moving through the dwellings.

The atmosphere was bright and busy at C.H. Booth Library’s lower meeting room, where the Festival of Trees had been set up. Simple white tablecloths covered tables laden with small decorated trees, wreaths, sprays, centerpieces, decorative accessories, and more. The event is done through raffle, with patrons purchasing tickets and then putting them in bags accompanying each item. Winning tickets were then drawn at 4 pm.

In the gymnasium of Edmond Town Hall, 23 of the expected 24 antiques dealers showed up. Dealers offered furniture in a variety of styles, books, glass, prints, paintings and other artwork, silver, toys, jewelry boxes, linens, and more. This year’s roster presented dealers from across the state and included Patrick Chambers Antiques, Poverty Meadows Mercantiles, and Roots of Connecticut, all of Newtown.

“The dealers were somewhat pleased with the show and its turnout,” reported Nancy Obremski. “The numbers were down for the afternoon, of course, but they seemed happy with the overall show.”

As if Saturday’s snow had not presented enough of a challenge, event organizers had to contend on Sunday with an absent shuttle bus service. Buses had been scheduled to run between a number of the festival’s locations, but the snow forced the bus company to cancel its service on Sunday morning.

“I’m very disappointed that the buses did not run,” Mrs Obremski said. “We were counting on them.”

Long-Term Effects

The bad news is, the festival is a major fundraiser for Family Counseling Center, Inc.

The long-term effects of last weekend’s smaller-than-usual turnout will not be known for some time.

“Certainly this has become an event that has been our major fundraiser for a number of years,” Family Counseling Center Executive Director Terry Blackmer said Monday afternoon. “I don’t think we’ll have to cut any of our services. We’ll continue as best as we can.

“We may have to streamline something, but ultimately we don’t have control over anything,” she continued. “We don’t know the financial impact yet, but business will continue.”

Mrs Blackmer attended the festival, and visited every event it had offered.

“I went to each of the homes, and they were beautifully decorated,” she said. “You could see that the committees and the decorators had done an outstanding job. Each house was absolutely spectacular. The tea room was run well, and the café and the tea room both had good selections of items, and the family workshop was busy. Every place I went, there was a good amount of activity.

“Despite the weather I think the people who attended the festival were enjoying it,” she added. “I think everyone put their heart and soul into this event, and that was evident on Sunday.”

Mrs Blackmer also had compliments for festival chairman Nancy Obremski, the festival’s volunteers, and the staff of Family Counseling Center.

“Nancy did an outstanding job, and all of the volunteers were as wonderful as always,” Mrs Obremski said. “Without them we couldn’t do any of this.”

Regardless of any disappointments, the 18th Annual Family Counseling Center was successful in the fact that many people spent time with family and friends. There was an air of joy and happiness surrounding most participants, and the volunteers seemed pleased to be working on an event that brings immediate joy to so many people as well as future counseling services for clients of Family Counseling Center.