[Most recent update with additional information on Breakfast with Santa: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, November 26]

By: Maria Moore

OK, we admit it: we’re jumping the gun, but only by a few hours. Thanksgiving Day is practically here, and once the holiday meal is eaten, and we get to desert, our minds will already have turned to the upcoming holidays. Beginning with Monday, November 30, New Hartford will launch into a week of festivities. Here are the details, mark your calendars, and join in the fun!

Holiday Festival In Bakerville

Highlights of the Holiday Festival include:

Tuesday, December 1: The silent auction begins! Bid during library hours on a variety of goodies including wreaths, ski passes, gift baskets, event tickets and other holiday items. The auction concludes on Friday, December 4 at 9:00. p.m.

Friday, December 4, at 7:00 p.m.: There will be a carol sing, tree lighting, refreshments and a bonfire across the street from the Bakerville Library. Those attending should then walk to the Library to put their bids in the silent auction which ends at 9:00 p.m. Children are invited to stop in at the old firehouse where Mrs. Claus will greet them with a treat and help them make a craft. A special mailbox will be set up for letters to Santa.

Special Drawing: For just $5.00 a ticket, you can enter the drawing for a Nintendo DS Lite and the New Super Mario Bros. game (over a $179.00 value).

The Bakerville Library is located on Maple Hollow Road, just off Route 202 in Bakerville at the blinking light. For more information call the library at 482-8806.

The Holiday Festival is sponsored by the Friends of the Bakerville Library and the Library Board.

Check out: The full-sized flyer for the Holiday Festival in our Community Bulletin Board.

To learn more: About the Holiday Festival, including how to donate items for the silent auction (by Saturday November 28, if possible) please visit the Bakerville Library website.

Many thanks: To Milissa Woodward for providing us with the above press release, and to Joan Auclair for forwarding to us the Holiday Festival flyer.

Breakfast With Santa

Sunday, December 6, from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. : Breakfast with Santa is an annual tradition. Take your children to the Ann Antolini School and share breakfast with a very special gentleman, Santa Claus. He will, of course, be available for picture taking; the pictures will be taken by the Women’s Club and photos will be available for purchase.

There will also be a bake sale, raffle prizes, a Coloring Contest and Christmas Carols. The picture for the coloring contest was recently sent home in the backpacks of the children for them to color and hand in at school by December 6.  Download a copy of the picture for the coloring contest: Breakfast with Santa coloring contest (113).

Snow date is Sunday December 13.  Tickets are available at the door. Adults: $4.00, and Children under 12: $3.00.

If you have questions: Please email: info@newhartfordwomensclub.org

To check out photos: From last year’s Breakfast With Santa, and to learn more about this great organization, please visit the New Hartford Women’s Club website.

Many thanks: To Penny Miller for providing us with the information about Breakfast with Santa all the way from sunny Tampa, and to Alesia Kennerson for providing us with the flyer for this event.

12th Annual ‘Light New Hartford’ Celebration

The following events are all scheduled to take place in the New Hartford town center:

Sunday, December 6, at 5:30 p.m.: To start off the fun there will be a DJ playing holiday music for all to enjoy. To get in the spirit of the evening you can enjoy a complimentary cup of hot chocolate courtesy of SK8 New Hartford and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Children from Giant Steps Daycare, New Hartford cub/boy scouts from various packs as well as singers from the choir at Regional #7 will delight everyone with a carol sing in front of Chatterley’s Restaurant leading up to the tree lighting. The wreath-decorating contest award winners will also be announced.

Kicking off the holidays wouldn’t be complete without a visit from Old St. Nick. Children can visit Santa and drop off donations of food at the parking lot near Bank of America. This year’s donations will go to local food banks in the area. Thanks to Cub Scout Pack 19 for their help.

Art Walk: You can also help us kick off the Art Walk. Artwork by members of the New Hartford Art League will be displayed in the windows of area merchants for the month of December. You can pick up your map to the Art Walk at Town Hall, both libraries, or Peddlers’ Junction (open until 7:30 pm that evening). NewHartfordPlus will add a downloadable Art Walk Map as soon as it becomes available to us.

As the night air sends a chill to your bones, you can head over to the Licia & Mason Beekley Community Library to enjoy cider and cookies courtesy of Bookfriends and the NH Women’s Club.

As you head home to cozy up by the fireplace, take a quick detour down Route 44 as businesses and homes will have their holiday lights on to ring in the holiday season.

‘Light New Hartford’ is sponsored by the New Hartford Business Council.

Many thanks: to Dawn Whalen, Co-President of the New Harford Business Council, for providing us with the above press release.

For more information: About ‘Light New Hartford’, please call Bart Baxter, Co-President, at 860-921-7149, or email Dawn Whalen, Co-President, at ctce200@ctce.us

To learn more: About the New Hartford Business Council and the events its members sponsor in our community, please visit the NHBC Business Notes page on NewHartfordPlus.

Check out: The NHBC Members’ Directory on NewHartfordPlus, where you’ll see listed most of the business owners who are working on bringing ‘Light New Hartford’ to our community for the 12th year.

All Together Now!

Below is the full schedule for the upcoming holiday celebrations in New Hartford. If you know of any events that are not listed here, or if you’d like us to include more information about your particular event, please email us the details to: newhartfordplus@gmail.com and we will add the information to this listing.

A scene from the 2007 Light New Hartford. Photo: Charlie Richmond