Bolinsky: Newtown December Christmas & Holiday Events

I wanted to let you know about the upcoming December Christmas & Holiday events happening in Newtown.

Christmas tree in snowy night

The town’s three Christmas/holiday trees will be formally lit for the holidays, December 4-6.

• Newtown’s oldest tree lighting celebration will open the weekend. The 31st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Ram Pasture is scheduled for Friday, December 4. The event will begin with musical performances at 6:30 pm, and culminate with the tree lighting at 7, followed by caroling, refreshments, and visits with Santa and Mrs Claus.

During the hours leading up to the big event, members of the Ram Pasture Tree Lighting Committee will be out, placing luminarias around Ram Pasture.

• The Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Sandy Hook Center will follow on Saturday, December 5.

The event begins at 4 pm, leading to the lighting of two trees at 6:30 pm. The traditional tree at The Glen, at 2 Washington Avenue, will be lit first, followed by a tree planted two years ago, at the corner of Washington Avenue and Riverside Road.

Residents are invited to celebrate the joys of the holiday season with fun festivities that will engage and entertain in the time leading up to and immediately following the trees being lit.

The Graceful Planet will again be sponsoring karaoke, and members of the Newtown Middle School Chorus will be caroling beginning at 6 pm.

PJ’s Laundromat has arranged for Santa to arrive via a Sandy Hook Fire Truck at 5 pm. Santa will stay until 6:30 and have something special for the children. Children can bring letters they have written to Santa to the tree lighting ceremony. A mailbox will be stationed there so that all letters can be delivered straight to the North Pole.

Everyone planning to attend the tree lighting is asked to bring a food pantry item with them, to be donated to FAITH Food Pantry.

Santa will be in front of Sandy Hook Hair Co., 102 Church Hill Road. Food pantry donations should be given to Santa at this location at 5 pm. Upon giving a food pantry donation to Santa, each family will automatically be entered into a raffle to win a drawing to light the holiday tree.

• The 6th Annual Hawleyville Tree Lighting is scheduled for Sunday, December 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, at Hawleyville Plaza, 23 Barnabas Road.

The event will double as a toy drive for The Newtown Fund, a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides assistance to local residents and their families.

Santa and Mrs Claus are planning to visit courtesy of Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company.