Greenwich Reindeer Festival ushers in the holiday season
GREENWICH — With the sound of a honking horn and loud cheers from people of all ages, Santa made his return to Sam Bridge Nursery and Greenhouses Friday for the 14th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival.
Just in time for Santa’s noon arrival, the rain that had been falling off and on throughout Friday suddenly stopped, leaving dry skies as The Jolly Old Elf and First Selectman Fred Camillo were driven up in a vehicle courtesy of Mercedes Benz of Greenwich.
Three reindeer arrived later Friday to the delight of the crowd.
“This is the official start to the Christmas season,” Greenwich resident Andrew Sylvester said.
Sylvester and his wife, Kate Sylvester, brought their three sons — 4-year-old Teddy, 3-year-old Brooks and 16-month-old Beau — out despite the early rain to catch Santa on his ride to the greenhouse and nursery.
“We come here every year ... the Friday after Thanksgiving,” Kate Sylvester said. “I grew up in the area and I would come here with my parents to get our Christmas trees at Sam Bridge.”
Rachelle Chimblo Tabora, a Stratford resident who grew up in Greenwich, said she was eager to get into the Christmas spirit and had brought her 1-year-old daughter Violet for Santa’s arrival and to meet up with more of her family.
“We were not going to miss out on this,” Chimblo Tabora said. “This is her first time here. We were coming rain or not. We’re so excited. I just love Christmas and all things cheerful. We’re doing this with her grandparents and it’s going to be a great way to start the holidays.”
The Reindeer Festival is the brainchild of town resident Tamara Ketler and her company, TMK Event Marketing LLC, dubbed “The North Pole on North Street.”
“It’s definitely all about the children,” Ketler said. “It’s about families and children and all the excitement. We see the twinkle in their eye when Santa arrives and they see the reindeer. It brings so much joy.”
The festival is a major event for Sam Bridge, in part because of what it means to the community.
“We love this,” Maggie Bridge, a partner in the nursery and manager of sales and marketing, said. “It’s always really fun for us to get involved with the community. We love doing that stuff…We love the positive energy that this whole festival brings to the area. It’s one of the only places you can see live reindeer and it’s always exciting. People always smile and they’re always happy to be here.”
The nursery has been a family-owned business for generations in Greenwich. Maggie Bridge brought along the newest member of the family — her 11-monthold daughter Birdie Evelyn — to greet Santa, continuing a tradition herself.
Holiday cheer was in the air as the crowd waited for Santa to pull up, with food trucks, music and rescues from the Wilton-based Rising Starr Horse Rescue that people were encouraged to pet.
Festivities continue Saturday. The reindeer will be on hand until Dec. 22 and Santa will be available for photos until 3 p.m. Christmas Eve. The reindeer fest runs until Dec. 24 and offers Christmas trees, wreaths, plants, holiday items and Santa’s Workshop during normal business hours.
The event is a benefit for Kids in Crisis.
More information is online at www.Greenwichreindeerfestival.com.