The “06880”/Westport Downtown Association Holiday Stroll is less than 2 weeks away.
Over 50 merchants and vendors have already signed up for giveaways, promotions and more.
The 5th annual event (December 6, 4 to 7 p.m., Main Street and beyond) features all kinds of family fun, from Orphenians caroling to photos with Santa Claus, face painting, and much more.
Nômade returns with their much-loved s’mores. Savvy + Grace will again be North Pole center, for kids’ letters to Santa (all get answered!).
Toy Post offers small gifts for children. Adults will enjoy holiday cheer at Clarendon Fine Art and Lux Bond & Green; $50 off $150 or more at Southern Tide; up to 75% off at Shoe-Inn — and those are just a few.
Here’s the list — as of now. New specials are added daily.
Bartaco: Hot chocolate table
Bella Bridesmaids: $25 off per dress
Bloom Salon: Holiday treats, and discounted hair tinsel
Bridgewater Chocolate: Raffle for $50 gift card, with purchase
Candle Caboodle: TBD
Chait Gallery/Photography Studio: 20% off all artwork, portraits in studio; $200 for 1-hour session, includes 8×10 print
Clarendon Fine Art: Holiday cheer; live music by Warren Bloom
Cold Fusion: Free wrapped chocolates
Core Burn Pilates: Discounted group class and private sessions (booked on day of Stroll)
Courtgirl: 15-30% off storewide
Eleish Van Breems: Raffles; cider in courtyard
Faherty: Refreshments and cool vibes
Fred: Gift with purchase
Gabriele’s: Buy $500 worth of gift cards; get $100 extra
Gioiella Jewlery: Raffles
Hummingbird Healing Center: Light bites, wine, raffle
Jimmy’s: Christmas-themed stocking fillers
Kerri Rosenthal: 25% off selected items
Lux Bond & Green: Holiday cheer and treats
J. McLaughlin: Handbag raffle 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; cookies and Prosecco in the afternoon
Naturino Kids Shoes: 25% off single pair
Nômade: S’mores, and free Advent calendar
Offline by Aerie: 10% off purchase; $25 off $125 if booking an appointment
Paper Source: Buy one; get 50% off holiday boxed cards
Rhone: Beverages; 15% off first purchase
Rowan: Buy 2 non-piercing pairs of earrings; 2nd is 15% off
Savvy + Grace: North Pole mailbox for letters to Santa
Shoe-Inn: Up to 75% off
Sorelle Gallery: 20% off original artwork and prints all day; Champagne and holiday treats
Southern Tide: $50 off $150 or more
Splash of Pink: Gift with purchase over $200
Swarovski: TBD
Theory: Holiday sip and shop
Toy Post: Small gifts for children
Vince Westport: 25% off
W Hair & Color: Raffle for package of 3 blowouts
Walrus Alley: Happy hour, featuring Glüwein
West Elm: General promotions
West Out East: 15% off all accessories
Westport Book Shop: Gift with purchase of children’s picture books
Westport Centerpiece: Holiday gifts
Westport Country Playhouse: Raffle for prizes; discounts on tickets
Zoomin Groomin: 25% off any mobile grooming booked the day of the Stroll.
The Staples Orphenians return for the 5th annual Holiday Stroll.
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This weekend, with the strong support of the Westport community, Homes with Hope ensured that no family in the area goes without a Thanksgiving meal.
Supported by hundreds of volunteers of all ages, the non-profit provided 475 full Thanksgiving meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity
As the managing partner of Basket Brigade, Homes with Hope oversaw the preparation of 300 Thanksgiving baskets on Saturday. The CT Basket Brigade — which provides Thanksgiving meals to vulnerable families for many years — has expanded its reach beyond the greater Bridgeport and Norwalk areas. Each basket feeds a family of 6.
A few of the many turkey baskets …
On Sunday, 175 clients of the Gillespie Center Food Pantry picked up their own Thanksgiving meals.
Together, the effort will provide Thanksgiving dinner to more than 2,500 local residents. The meals include turkeys, pies, fresh potatoes and carrots, vegetables, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and more.
Homes with Hope thanks the volunteers, donors, Staples Service League of Boys, Builders Beyond Borders, Girls Scouts and other organizations at the Basket Brigade, and community partners whose generosity made the weekend possible.
… and the volunteers who helped prepare and distribute them.
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It was one of the hottest tickets ever in town.
If you were one of those who reserved them early: congratulations.
If you were among the many who scrambled (the action on social media was insane), or arrived early, hoping a seat would open up, you dealt with Players’ box office.
With their quick response time and professionalism, you may have thought you were dealing with a full-scale operation.
Nope. Despite the show’s professionalism, this is not Ticketmaster or TKTS. It’s high school.
Co-director Kerry Long offers this look behind the scenes:
“Dianna Betit and Sloan Jamali are our volunteer box office chairs.
Dianna Bettit (left) and Sloan Jamali, taking a quick break.
“They spent countless hours dealing with ticketing software; setting up seating charts; organizing ticket sales for cast and crew families; filling ticket requests from teachers, administrators and town officials; filling ticket requests from Players staff — and then creating ‘ticket magic,’ to squeeze as many people into the auditorium as possible when our show was not only sold out, but oversold as well.
“If you’ve been on Westport Front Porch the past couple of weeks, or shopped at Trader Joe’s or Walgreens or any number of places, you heard the scuttlebutt about getting tickets for ‘Les Mis.’
“Dianna and Sloan were the ones who handled all the requests, changes, etc. They have a great team of volunteers, but they were our intrepid (and totally volunteer) leaders.”
Thanks to Dianna, Sloan and all who helped — far from the stage lights!
Ticket crew in action. (Photos/Kerry Long)
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With Thanksgiving guests ready to arrive — and plenty of tasks on the to-do list — Wheels2U reminds Westporters: They can bring company right to your house, then back again to return home.
Just download the Wheels2U app, then book a ride as the train approaches the station.
Wheels2U goes between the Saugatuck and Greens Farms train stations, and anywhere in Westport, from 5:30 to 10:30 am, and 4 to 9:30 p.m. this Wednesday and Friday. (Sorry — there’s no service on Thanksgiving day).
Click here for details, and links to the app.
Don’t be a turkey! Use Wheels2U to get to and from the station, before or after Thanksgiving.
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Veterinarian and Weston resident Jeff Feinman is about to publish “Path to Pet Wellness: The Holistic Vet’s Guide to Thriving Pets and Empowered Pet Parents.”
The guide is for “pet lovers who want their furry friends to live happier, healthier lives, to support their pet’s health naturally and confidently.
He explains how to:
- Interpret your pet’s symptoms, especially ones that keep coming back, and respond to them meaningfully
- Support healing with both conventional medicine and holistic traditions
- Apply a “love-centered” approach to your pet that unlocks their natural healing ability
- Make informed health decisions based on your pet’s physical and spiritual well-being
Click here for more information, and to order.
Dr. Jeffrey Feinman
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How did you spend your Sunday?
Whatever you did — getting ready for Thanksgiving, stringing Christmas lights, lighting a fire — odds are high it was not what these folks did, at Compo Beach:
(Photos/Richard Fogel)
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Meanwhile — not far away, at Sherwood Island — Mary Sikorski spotted another beach scene, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature:
(Photo/Mary Sikorski)
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And finally … the scene above reminds us of:
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