What’s going on in your part of Greenwich
Old Greenwich
The Sound Beach Avenue area will be bright for the holidays as Old Greenwich celebrates with its annual First Light celebration along the main business stretch from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1.
The main portion of the road — by the fire house, Old Greenwich School and the stores — will be closed to vehicular traffic so pedestrians can walk about safely for the festivities.
The event is a thank you to the community put together through a collective effort by the local stores in Old Greenwich, said Richard Fulton, head of the Old Greenwich Merchants Association.
The First Light comes after a year of construction headaches from the ongoing Metro-North track replacement in the area and the drainage improvements in downtown Old Greenwich. The work has to be done, Fulton said, but it’s been tough on the local merchants, who want to show off Old Greenwich.
“This is really something we’re looking forward to,” he said. “The work that’s been ongoing is necessary but it’s really made things difficult for shoppers who want to come to Sound Beach Avenue . ... We want people to see what we’re all about. We want people to know they don’t have to go to Stamford or to the mall or order online from Amazon. They can get what they need right here locally.”
Most of the festively decorated stores on Sound Beach Avenue will be open for special hours during First Light and offer special celebratory touches.
Attendees can enjoy horsedrawn carriage rides through the area, a disco at the Upper Crust Bagel Company and a magic show at Village Barbers. Carolers will sing outside of the school, while Santa Claus and the Sound Beach Community Band will perform at the firehouse.
Hungry? There will be food giveaways at Garden Catering, chili at the Coldwell Banker office and hot dogs at Feinsod Hardware Co.
Supporters of the Emily Fedorko Foundation will give out stickers and promote its efforts to raise money to restore the Chimes Tower in the Chimes Building at Greenwich Point.
Funds raised at the event will go toward the ongoing effort by the Old Greenwich Merchants Association to fix the famous clock on Sound Beach Avenue.
“We want people to see these businesses on Sound Beach Avenue because these are merchants that give back,” Fulton said.
Central Greenwich
The Greenwich Choral Society members are warming up their voices for the upcoming annual holiday concert, which will have a French flair.
The concerts — with the theme of “Joyeux Noel: From the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame” — will be held at 4 p.m. Dec. 1 and at 5 p.m. Dec. 2 at Christ Church at 254 E. Putnam Ave. The major production will feature the 100member choral society, along with soloists and accompaniment from strings, harp and the church organ.
Befitting the theme, the program will feature choral music from French composers, with work from Francis Poulenc and selections from Charpentier, Fauré, Gounod, and Saint-Saëns. To further the holiday mood, the music selections will “traverse the many colors of the season,” including familiar carols and anthems. The society is also promising a few surprises for concertgoers.
It will open with the society’s signature candle-lit procession into the church.
The holiday tradition dates to the society’s formation in 1925. Sam Deibler, a second bass in the choir, said the concert is fun for all involved.
“We love the challenge of performing these pieces,” Deibler said. “The challenge is why a lot of people signed up. I know it’s why I did. After I retired, I wanted to do something I had never done before.”
Community members of all faiths are welcome at the concert; traditional Jewish songs will also be performed to mark Hanukkah.
“This is a start to the holiday season in town,” Deibler said. “We’ve always done it the first weekend of December right after Thanksgiving. We love to be able to put everyone in the holiday mood.”
Tickets — $45 and $38, with special prices for students and groups — can be purchased by calling 203622-5136 or visiting www.GreenwichChoralSociety.org.
The holiday spirit will also brighten Western Greenwich with two community events planned for Dec. 1.
The annual tree lighting and open house at the Byram Shubert Library will start at 4 p.m. Dec. 1, with music, crafts for children, a potluck supper featuring international dishes from the community and maybe, just maybe, a surprise holiday visitor.
Bob Leinbach will also entertain the crowd with songs at the event, which shows off the library at its holiday best.
The Friends of Byram Shubert Library is putting together the event, which brings together many from all over the community.
“It is fun for everyone, beginning with the magic moment when the lights appear on the tree, continuing as guests make their way to the Friends Community Room, where the buffet is arranged,” Friends of Byram Shubert Library member Judy Crystal said.
To take part in the potluck, check the signup sheets at the library’s front desk and list the dish you plan to prepare. The party is scheduled to end promptly at 6.
The same day, the New Lebanon School Holiday Boutique will be held inside the school’s gymnasium from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.
More than 30 vendors are expected, including Lula Rose, Stella and Dot, Pampered Chef, Silly Shopper, Fizzy Fairy Bath, Thirty One, Cutco, The Flower Room of Rye, Edgewood Home and Garden, Abilis, Little Red Pennies, Flour Love Sweets and Steve Demasco’s Shaolin Studios, according to the school’s PTA. Many other local vendors will offer handmade items for sale.
Kids can enjoy PTA-chaperoned activities — holiday movies, crafts, treats, and music from Miss Mindy — while parents shop.