Tomorrow evening (Thursday, December 3, 5 p.m.) marks the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Town Hall. It’s a fun event, and all are welcome.
But if you figured you’d mosey on down to Christ & Holy Trinity Church afterward, for what in the past few years was a nice hot cocoa-and-carols gathering, think again.
The venue has changed. The celebration will now be held on Main Street, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. There will be carolers (starting at Town Hall) and food carts (with free roasted chestnuts, pretzels, popcorn and cotton candy). Non-profits will offer information on their groups too.
The Christmas tree at Town Hall, following a lighting ceremony.
If you’re looking for more details though, do not check out the Westport Downtown Merchants Association website. As of this morning, it still previewed last year’s event. (The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce is a co-sponsor.)
Can’t make it to Town Hall tomorrow? Or just a tree-lighting junkie? Come to Wakeman Town Farm this Saturday (December 5, 4 p.m.).
In a revival of a longtime Wakeman family tradition, farmers will light the tree. There’s a bonfire, hot chocolate and treats, while the Coleytown Middle School band plays holiday tunes.
The Wakeman Town Farm Christmas tree.
More into dreidels and latkes? Westport’s 4 Jewish congregations — Beit Chaverim, Chabad, the Conservative Synagogue and Temple Israel — join hands on the 1st night of Hanukkah (this Sunday, December 6, 5 p.m.) for a community-wide menorah lighting and celebration.
It’s set for the small park at the corner of the Post Road and Main Street. The menorah will remain up (and lit nightly) for all 8 days.
“In a world often filled with darkness and divisiveness, we are thrilled to stand united with the hope of bringing light into our community as we celebrate Hanukkah together,” says Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn of the Conservative Synagogue.
Hanukkah is, of course, the Festival of Lights. Whatever your faith — or if you have none at all — you can still enjoy the holiday lights downtown. The ones on the menorah, and the other ones on the lamp posts.
Happy holidays!
Any idea if Santa makes an appearance at the town hall tree lighting? My kids always looked forward to this town event.
I think it sound wonderful all of it! Happy Holidays to all! Just they Thursday is December 3rd not the 4th and so Friday is the 4th and Saturday is the 5th. December 5th is the first night of Hannukah at sundown.
You should check with the rabbis about the first night of Hannukah!
whenever i read “Town Hall” on the blog, i look at the picture and think “Bedford Elementary” . i have a nightmare where i go to play a concert
with the Boston Symphony, and i cannot find my bass. then i find it under
the stage (behind those grates that cover the steam radiators) at Bedford Elementary whilst the BSO is playing without me overhead, usually Beethoven Egmont overture, the first piece i ever played in an orchestra.
The Westport Little Symphony, a youth orchestra which rehearsed every
Wednesday on that very stage; conducted by John Burnett of Danbury, and
run by Foster and Cathy Betts’ mom. Elwood was their uncle. 1947- anybody know ?
Yeah it’s Bedford El to me — I dream about that stage too, Buell to this day — lol. I was mama bear in the 3 Little Bears play on that stage and I still remember the details of that stage, those grates and the heavy green curtain from 1963 as a first grader. Not sure how that’s possible but it is.
For me, too. I always think of Dorothy Straub when I see the building, and what seemed at the time (’69 – ’70) to be an enormous stage and auditorium.
Truly a very commanding elementary school, in many ways.
Dan, I don’t understand the source of the photo. Is this a premonition of the 4th, a town hall in another town? It certainly wasn’t last year. Because I just drove past our town hall and there are no lights on the big tree (it certainly wasn’t last year. and, please … no more cold laser white lights cutting through the night). No lights anwhere except for the Millman law offices (thank you very much).
As the caption says, it’s Town Hall following “a” lighting ceremony. I believe it was around 2011.
Bedford Elementary must have been a beautiful school building, up on the hill, with those pillars and the sweeping lawn. I’m glad it was preserved. for its “new” use. As distinctive as the old town hall was, the current one is so much nicer.