A Frozen Winter Wonderland in Newtown on December 8th

For the 34th year, families and friends from all over will head to Main Street from 11am to 4pm for the Holiday Festival, an event that has become a much-loved holiday tradition in Newtown. As one of the area’s longest running holiday events, the Holiday Festival includes activities for all ages to enjoy like the Festival of Trees, Holiday House Tours, The Nutcracker Suite Ballet, kid’s activities and special guest appearances from favored Frozen characters! The theme for the 34th year is Frozen Winter Wonderland which means Elsa, Anna and Olaf will be present throughout the event.

The individual activities and events that make up the Holiday Festival are spread out along Main Street at three primary locations; Edmond Town Hall, C.H. Booth Library and Trinity Church. In addition to these locations, the festival features a narrated historic trolley ride through the Newtown Borough and a tour of homes decorated for the holiday season. Participating homes are located along Main Street and on streets near Main Street. The day of the festival will be chock-full of activities with something for all generations to enjoy! Activities include:

The Festival of Trees, with extended hours this year, at C.H. Booth Library. All decorated trees, wreaths, centerpieces and gift baskets will be on display and ready for raffle ticket sales starting on Saturday, December 7th. At the Festival of Trees, patrons purchase raffle tickets then place their ticket(s) into the box for the item they would like to win. Ticket sales close on Sunday, December 8th at 4:00pm with the drawing taking place immediately after. The Festival of Trees will be open for viewing and ticket sales at C.H. Booth Library on Saturday, December 7th from 10:00am-4:00pm and Sunday, December 8th from 11:00am-4:00pm. This is the only activity at the Holiday Festival that does not require a Holiday Festival ticket. The Festival of Trees is sponsored by Newtown Prevention Council.

Holiday House Tours, where Holiday Festival participants can tour beautifully decorated homes located on and around Main Street. Local designers, like Queen Street Gifts and Elegant Windows, teamed up with those who volunteered their homes to create a festive display of fresh pine swag and sweeping garland with twinkling lights. Homes are open from 11:00am-4:00pm. A complimentary shuttle will be available.

The Nutcracker Suite Ballet, presented by the Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet & Voice, will have two performances at the Edmond Town Hall Theater. The first showing will be at 12:00pm and the second at 2:00pm. A condensed version of the full-length ballet will also include a story narrative. One showing is included with the Holiday Festival ticket. Ballet tickets can be purchased individually for $8.

Holiday Tea, where you can relax, listen to musical performers, sip a cup of tea and enjoy a bite to eat! The Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall will be transformed into a Holiday Tea Café and open from 12:00-4:00pm. The Holiday Tea is sponsored by Newtown Savings Bank.

Kid’s Tea & Sing-Along with Elsa and Anna will feature hot cocoa, music and merriment from 11:00am-12:00pm in the Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall. Afterwards, Elsa and Anna will head to C.H. Booth Library for a meet & greet and photo op from 12:00-1:00pm.

Kid’s Activities also include Cookie Decorating from 1:00-3:30pm, Letters for Santa from 11:00am-4:00pm and Crafts from 11:00am-4:00pm. All at C.H. Booth Library. Kid’s Activities are sponsored by Newtown Family Dentistry.

What about our favorite snowman? You can have Ice Cream with Olaf at Trinity Church from 2:00-3:30pm. While you’re there you can make a snowflake craft!

Historic Trolley Tours give you a chance to sit back, relax and take in all the beautiful history Main Street in Newtown has to offer! Our spirited tour guide will take you from Edmond Town Hall to Pleasance Park and back while making frequent stops to tell stories and the history of Main Street and the houses that line the historic street. There will be six 30 minute long tours. Your Holiday Festival ticket includes one ride which is first come, first served due to limited seating. To reserve your seat you will need to get a trolley ticket which can be picked up outside Edmond Town Hall. There will be tours departing at 11:15am, 12:00pm, 1:15pm, 2:00pm, 2:45pm and 3:30pm.

Edible Creations Competition & Display, sugar cubes, gum drops, marshmallows, graham crackers and more! It’s more than just gingerbread. Stop by Trinity Church from 11:00am-3:30 pm to view all of the competition entries. Judges will announce the winners at 3:30pm!

General admission tickets for the Holiday Festival can be purchased in advance and in person at Newtown Savings Bank (Main Street & Sand Hill Plaza locations), NYFS (15 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook) or C.H. Booth Library. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org. The advanced ticket prices are $15 for adults, $8 for children (2-14 years old), children under 2 are free, $13 for seniors (60+ years old) and $30 for a family 4-pack (2 adults, 2 children). Advanced ticket rates expire online at 11:59pm on December 7th.

Same day tickets will be available for purchase at Edmond Town Hall and C.H. Booth Library on the day of the festival but at a higher rate. The same day ticket prices are $18 for adults, $10 for children (2-14 years old), children under 2 are free, $15 for seniors (60+ years old) and $36 for a family 4-pack (2 adults, 2 children).

Not only is the Holiday Festival a great way to kick off the holiday season and have fun, it’s also the largest fundraiser for Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS). “We are extremely grateful for the support we receive from the community and our sponsors,” says Candice Bohr, Executive Director of NYFS. “Without the event donations, volunteered time, and financial support we receive from local businesses and community members, the Holiday Festival wouldn’t be possible. Year over year we are overwhelmed by our Platinum Sponsor Newtown Savings Bank and their generosity, they continue to support our mission and initiatives.”

“People from all over Connecticut come to the Holiday Festival, says Melissa Cercone, Marketing Director for NYFS. “We even get people from New York and Massachusetts. For our attendees this event is a tradition, a girls day out, a chance to learn about Newtown’s history, an opportunity to see Santa or a child’s dream to meet a Disney princess, but really it’s so much more than that. By attending the Holiday Festival they are supporting Autism programming, mental health and addiction counseling services, adolescent support groups and everything else that NYFS offers to the community.”

Additional information about the Holiday Festival can be obtained by calling 203-270-4335 or visiting www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.

About Newtown Youth and Family Services
Newtown Youth and Family Services [NYFS] is a non-profit youth service bureau and mental health clinic for children, teens, adults and seniors. For over 30 years, NYFS has been committed to providing high quality human health services to promote individual and community wellness. Specialized services include: outpatient individual, couples and family counseling, substance abuse treatment services, Autism and social skills programs, prevention initiatives and support groups. For services or information call 203-270-4335 or visit www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.

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