CELEBRATIONS
Boys & Girls Club hosts Thanksgiving dinner
Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich hosted its 21st annual Thanksgiving dinner last week. The food was provided by community leaders and served by neighborhood volunteers and Club board members. More than 200 boys and girls feasted on traditional Thanksgiving fare such as turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, pies and more.
Each year Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich hosts a Thanksgiving Feast for its members on the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Because of the renovation of the clubhouse, this year’s feast took place at Christ Church Hall, 254 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich.
“This is one of our favorite events at the clubhouse. It is great to know that so many members will go home with full stomachs after a great meal served by our community leaders,” said Don Palmer, vice president of programs and youth development, in a news release.
Festival of Tabletop Trees
More than 30 local non-profits, retailers, decorators and garden centers are donating decorated trees for this year’s Festival of Tabletop Trees — the largest number since the festival launched in 2018.
“The Bruce has donated a tree each year we’ve been open and with the grand opening of The New Bruce in April 2023 we are excited to be back,” said Bruce Museum Store Manager Justine Matteis in a news release. “We are honored to support Greenwich Historical Society, a strong partner and community treasure. Plus it gives us a chance to showcase some of our ornaments and it’s a lot of fun!”
Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, another prominent Greenwich organization that has donated trees since the program started, said it was delighted to participate in the newest iteration.
“We’ve been in Greenwich since 1930 and enjoy being part the town’s holiday festivities, especially with an organization integral to the history of Greenwich,” said Sam Bridge Retail Store Manager Kamil Jablonowski in a news release.
Winner of the most creative tree award in the 2020 Festival, Greenwich Library, has a high bar to meet for this year’s entry.
“We have a large workplace with many employees who like to contribute, so we expect another highly creative and eclectic tree to donate for the auction,” said local history librarian Regan Avery in the release.
The Festival of Tabletop Trees takes place in the Historical Society Museum Lobby, Dec. 6 through 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Trees are purchased via a silent auction. Winners pick up trees at the end of the festival.
While viewing the trees, visitors can enjoy shopping and refreshments in the Museum Store, which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Complimentary gift wrapping is offered. Historical Society members receive a 10 percent discount.
Rob Mathes holiday concert on its way
The Rob Mathes Holiday Concert, a holiday tradition for so many, is celebrating 30 years this year with three concerts at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College in Purchase, N.Y.
Rob Mathes is an Emmy award-winning and Grammy-nominated musician who is a Greenwich resident.
Concerts are Dec. 15, and Dec. 16 at 8 p.m., with a special matinee performance at 3 p.m. Dec. 17. Tickets are available at artscenter.org; and VIP seating in the first two rows of the orchestra are available through the concert’s nonprofit beneficiary, Food Rescue US — Fairfield County at bit.ly/3PTsUSF or foodrescue.us/ site/food-rescue-us-fairfield-county/.
This year’s concerts are dedicated to Rabbi Mark Golub, a long-time supporter and cherished fan of the concerts who died earlier this year from cancer.
“Rabbi Mark Golub was one of my musical muses when it came to including a bit of the Jewish faith into what started out as a fairly traditional Christmas Concert — and he was one of the reasons why we called it a Holiday Concert,” said Mathes in a news release. “Rabbi Mark Golub attended every year, and encouraged us to play long into the night. I sat down with him on numerous occasions and those conversations were the inspiration for some of my strongest songs of recent years. The Hanukkah songs I wrote in tribute to him include Light in the Window and Too Many Stars, which we’ll perform this year.”
In the spirit of giving, the Rob Mathes Holiday Concerts will once again support Food Rescue US — Fairfield County, a nonprofit organization that fights hunger.
To learn more about Mathes, visit robmathes.com; Facebook and Twitter (X) @RobMathesMusic; Instagram