By Tyler R. Morrissey
Each month we will highlight a few events happening in each of the communities William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty serves.
As the calendar page flips from November to December, there are plenty of holiday themed activities to take part in. Below are just a few events to attend as you celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.
Westchester
Back for the fourth consecutive season is the Westchester Winter Wonderland at the Kenisco Dam Plaza in Valhalla, N.Y. This year’s family friendly event runs through December 31 and includes a circus tent, annual toboggan ride and a spectacular 36-foot tall Christmas tree. Winter Wonderland will also see the return of a 70 by 90-foot ice skating rink sponsored by the NHL’s New York Rangers. “RangersTown,” as the rink is known, is the same size as the rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Other highlights include a holiday movie night on December 27 and pop-up holiday boutique Thursday through Saturday, December 21-23, with holiday gifts and crafts. General admission for Westchester’s Winter Wonderland is $15 per person; ages 3 and under are admitted free. For more information, click here.
The Berkshires
The Cantilena Chamber Choir will present the World’s Greatest Christmas Carols at Trinity Church in Lenox, Mass. on Sunday, December 3, at 3p.m. The concert will include traditional carols and some new settings of old favorites by American composers. Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director of Shakespeare and Company, will be the featured narrator. Burrows had been an artistic associate at Shakespeare and Company for several years, acting in numerous productions. Concert tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students or seniors, and free for children 12 years old and under. The price of the ticket also includes a special post-concert reception with a harvest soup made by Clayton Hambrick, former chef of the Church Street Café in Lenox. For more information, click here.
Fairfield County
From November 30 to December 3, the annual Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival will take place at the historic Burr Homestead in Fairfield. Visitors can enjoy a cup of hot cider as they meander through the newly renovated mansion, and view the rooms designed by local interior decorators and artists. Exquisite trees, wreaths and decorative items throughout are for sale, as well as custom made live wreaths. The Holiday Hip Hop family night portion of the festival will take place on Dec. 1 from 5-7 p.m. Fairfield’s own Double-Up Dance Studio will perform a hip hop routine while guests enjoy dinner and conversation. On Dec. 2 from 2-4 p.m. the event will feature the Nutcracker Sweet Tea with refreshments and a brief vignette from the Nutcracker Suite. For more information, click here.
Litchfield County
Farmer’s markets are typically held in warm weather months, but the Goshen Farmer’s Market has gone indoors with a “holiday market” on Sunday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. until December 17. This lively and festive market features seasonal produce, grass-fed beef and pork, eggs, honey and syrup. Vendors will also sell breads and sweets, which are perfect for your next holiday gathering, as well as wooden crafts and knitted items. For more information, click here.
The Connecticut Shoreline
What’s become an annual tradition in Essex is the Essex Steam Train’s “Santa Special,” which is now running through December 23. Enjoy the spirit of the season as you relax with family and friends aboard festive railway cars adorned with vintage decorations. At night, the Essex Steam Train also runs a “North Pole Express,” where every passenger coach becomes a stage for a live musical performance of the classic “The Night before Christmas.” For more information, click here.
