This time of year, you can’t throw a snowball (if there was any of the white stuff to throw) without hitting a holiday bazaar. But Litchfield county’s well-crafted festive collaborations — their winter strolls and lighting ceremonies — will shine especially bright this month. Sorry Fox News, but none are particularly religious in nature: From the town of Litchfield’s summer “Date Night” to Washington’s Holiday in the Depot, Northwest, CT is pulling out all the civic stops to show it's as much a go-to destination as neighboring counties. Though many have long known of the charms of the area (scenic drives and driftings on places like Lake Waramaug), it's holiday festivities that are now taking center stage, from New Milford’s “Holiday on the Green” (December 16) to Bethlehem's two day Christmas Town Festival (December 7 and 8). The following is the best of a growing list of holiday happenings over the next two weekends:
While the festive holiday open houses are usually free and open to the public events, there’s the occasional must-do benefit event, like the Festival of Trees & Lights Cocktail Party at the Gunn Memorial Library (Friday, December 7, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m). The fundraiser gives partygoers the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind ornaments created by local artists and celebrity autographed bookmarks sold by Silent Auction during the cocktail party. “It just grows and grows. This year is already gearing up to be better than the last,” says Carolyn Hartman of the Gunn Memorial Library. Some of this year’s celebrity participants include Kevin Bacon, Kinky Friedman, Laura Linney, Shirley McLaine, Bette Midler, Demi Moore, Sandra Day O’Connor, Michael Richards, and Sissy Spacek. Auction items will be open for viewing at no charge (Saturday, December 8, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m). Items not sold at the Cocktail Party on Friday evening will be available for purchase on Saturday. The following Friday in Washington, the 21st year of Holiday in the Depot (Friday, December 14) festivities kick off with a tree lighting, Washington Montessori School students singing Christmas carols, photo ops with Santa, and more caroling in the Depot with The Troubadours from the Gunnery School. The Hickory Stick Bookshop hosts a book signing with Florence and Wendell Minor featuring My Bookstore, for which they wrote an essay on the shop. Mo the Magician demonstrates the tricks up his sleeve at Washington Supply and Outdoor Living. Kent has a corner on packing in all the holiday cheer it can muster, from the Kent Community Nursery School’s 17th Annual Pancakes with Santa event (Saturday, December 8, 8:30 -11 a.m.), which boasts a special mailbox to get letters straight to Santa. Later that night, the Kent Historical Society hosts its 12th Annual Colonial Christmas Celebration at the Swift House, with a standing room only crowd brought together by community donated foods and recipe swapping and wine tastings. Sunday, December 9, will bring the third annual Stuff-A-Truck, during which the Kent Volunteer Fire Department accepts donations of new, unwrapped toys and/or non-perishable food items and gives fire truck rides and cocoa.
Lyn Stirnweiss. from the Kent Chamber of Commerce, gets in the spirit of things just reciting Kent’s list of events. “I’m just giddy. I’m very excited about this year," she says. "It makes me feel like a kid.” All of this is just a warm up for the town-wide Open House on the following Saturday (December 15), from extended shop hours to photos with Santa at Annie Bananie/Backcountry Outfitters, and a children’s book signing at the Kent Memorial Library. Santa at the Kent Children’s Center has standing-room-only cookie decorating workshops, while Kent Wine & Spirit has wine tastings. But no self-respecting town event would be complete without a parade: Kent's Parade Of Lights is led by Santa from the Kent Green down Main Street to the firehouse and on Sunday, the festivities end with horse-drawn carriage rides that take guests around the green.
At the third annual Windows of New Preston at the "The New Preston Village Stroll," ten of the shops that make up the tight-knit hamlet of New Preston showcase creative seasonal windows, in addition to being packed with their usual cultured wares like unusual antiques, botanical curiosities, hyper-local wares and well-sourced home and kitchen goods, along with gallivanting carolers, hot cider and thousands of twinkling lights. Shops such as The Smithy, which is housed in an old blacksmith’s studio, strollers can enjoy one-stop super local goods like Guy Wolff Pottery from Bantam ($14 and up) and snuggle up at their fireplace and partake in the artisanal cheeses and homemade treats. Up the road at Dawn Hill Antiques, revelers can pick up French Diptyque candles ($68) and vintage Christmas ornaments while sipping champagne and nibbling on treats from NYC’s Maison de Macaron. Across the street on the river side, Pergola Home proprietor Peter Stiglin, whose own store holds boldly unique gifts like wreaths fashioned from lacquered magnolia leafs, twigs and preserved boxwood, says, ““The Winter Stroll event attracts larger crowds every year, with carolers, a bonfire, sales, and gift giveaways. Every shop will be serving delectables from wine and hot cider to edible treats.” And for the kids in tow, Sweeets (yes it has 3 e’s) has wrangled Clifford the Big Red Dog to hand out candy canes, and will have hot chocolate and almond brittle on hand. —Dale StewartWashingtonSaturday, December 7 Festival of Trees & Lights Cocktail Party - Gunn Memorial Library, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Friday, December 14 Holiday in the Depot , 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Kent Saturday, December 8 Kent Community Nursery School’s 17th Annual Pancakes with Santa at St. Andrew’s Church, Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 3-12 and FREE for children ages 2 and under. A family maximum of $20 will be charged. All proceeds benefit the Kent Community Nursery School .8:30 to 11 a.m. Kent Historical Society’s 12th Annual Colonial Christmas Celebration, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday December 9 Stuff-A-Truck. The Kent Volunteer Fire Dept KVFD, 28 Maple St.(Rte 341), 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday, December 15 Town-wide Open House. Participating merchants will stay open until 8 p.m. Photos with Santa at Annie Bananie Ice Cream/Backcountry Outfitters, 5 Bridge St., 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Children’s Book Signing at Kent Memorial Library,1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Santa at the Kent Children’s Center for cookie decorating and more photos. Kent Children’s Center, 99B North Main St. 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sunday, December 16 Horse- drawn carriage rides start at Kent Greenhouse & Gardens (30 South Main St) and turns around at N.M. Watson Wild Bird Supply (1 Kent Green Blvd), noon - 3 p.m. New MilfordSunday, December 16 Holiday on the Green, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Bethlehem Friday, December 7, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday, December 8, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Christmas Town Festival New PrestonSaturday, December 15 The Third Annual Windows of New Preston Village Stroll , 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
