The holidays will crank into full gear at the 8th Annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend presented by Whole Foods Market with fun for the entire family on Saturday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, December 4 from noon to 5p.m. This highly anticipated event will feature a live Nativity, horse drawn carriage rides, professional ice sculpture demos, music and entertainment, children’s activities, live reindeer and photos with Santa, plus more than 125 Greenwich merchants and restaurants offering special promotions, refreshments and in-store attractions.
Merchant Highlights
Created and produced by TMK Sports & Entertainment, a Greenwich-based event-marketing company, the event will feature many activities throughout the downtown, such as holiday card writing to service men and women in conjunction with Boy Scout Pack 10 at C. Parker Gallery which will also host The Stanwich School Trolley outside the store. There will be SIPS & BITES – wines, spirits and light bites - featuring 12 Greenwich merchants sponsored by Horseneck Wines & Spirits, Whole Foods Market and Garelick & Herbs. Letter writing to Santa will take place at 24 stores with mailboxes located at 29 stores.
Dance It Out to Benefit Kids in Crisis
At Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom of Greenwich, dance fitness sensation Billy Blanks Jr. of Shark Tank fame will conduct his popular Dance It Out class, Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Sunday, 12 to 1 p.m., to benefit Kids in Crisis. All proceeds from the $20 per person class fee will go to the organization. On Saturday at 5 p.m., Billy will join the merrymaking at the Delamar for holiday caroling and wine and cheese.
Live Nativity and Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
A live Nativity will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at several churches including First United Methodist Church of Greenwich, St. Paul’s Church in Rye Brook, Second Congregational Church in Greenwich and Greenwich Baptist Church. There will be a blessing of the animals, which will include a camel, llama, cow, donkey and five sheep, lessons and carols and a live Nativity photo booth. Horse drawn carriage rides will operate from noon to 3 p.m. each day. Carriage stops will be located at Amogerone Crossway and Greenwich Avenue, Fawcett Place and Greenwich Avenue, the Village Square parking lot on Mason Street and in front of Cavalier Galleries on Greenwich Avenue.
Arts and Ice Sculpture
The Greenwich Arts Council will offer a complimentary photo collage family workshop, Saturday, 1 to 2 p.m., and an ice sculpture demonstration by professionals from Apple Ice in New York City will take place at McArdle’s Florist & Garden Center from noon to 2:30 p.m. each day.
Live Music and Entertainment
Two live entertainment tents – one at 240 Greenwich Avenue sponsored by Greenwich Hospital and another at 1 Pickwick Plaza sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty – will feature performances by 18 music groups.
Food and Treats
To satisfy shoppers’ appetites, many of the stores will offer special treats from Greenwich restaurants and caterers. A Food Truck Village with trucks in several locations will include Christie Caters Farm to Truck, Pappi’s Mediterranean, Wendy’s Weenies, Dough Girls, Fryborg, LobsterCraft, Taco Pacifico, Tony’s Square Donuts and Chicken Joe’s On the Go.
8th Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Village
And not to be missed are live reindeer and photos with Santa, train and carousel rides at Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, through December 24. Photo packages begin at $29.99 and include a Shop and Dine Greenwich gift bag filled with promotions redeemable at participating downtown Greenwich stores. On Saturday, December 3, $5 from every photo package and $5 from every wreath over $50 purchased at Sam Bridge will be donated to Kids in Crisis.
For more information, visit www.GreenwichReindeerFestival.com, follow on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GreenwichReindeerFestival, Twitter, @ReindeerGwich, and Instagram, @greenwichreindeerfestival, or call 203-531-3047.
“We’re excited to host the reindeer this year and continue the tradition that has made the season so special in Greenwich,” said Sam Bridge. “The new additions of the train and carousel rides will create a village-like atmosphere and offer holiday fun for all ages.”
At Santa’s Village, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich, families, children, corporate groups and even pets (on leashes) can have their photo taken with Santa. Photo packages begin at $29.99 and include a gift bag filled with promotions redeemable at participating downtown Greenwich stores. Digital photos will also be available with photo packages. Train and carousel rides are $4 per ride or $40 for a family package of 12 rides. The hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Throughout the four weeks, everyone is welcome to view the reindeer. Feeding times will take place Monday through Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The reindeer will depart on December 23 but Santa will stay on for photos from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Everyone who has their photo taken with Santa can enter a raffle to win a Mercedes-Benz pedal car, a child’s ultimate holiday gift, from Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich. Official reindeer ornaments, made from recycled Pepsi cans by Kenyan artists, will be for sale at Sam Bridge for $16 and $12. Two dollars from each item sold will be donated to Kids in Crisis. There will also be Kids in Crisis Giving Tree at Sam Bridge throughout the four weeks.
For more information, visit www.GreenwichReindeerFestival.com, follow on Facebook, Twitter, @ReindeerGwich, and Instagram, @greenwichreindeerfestival, or call 203-531-3047.
