Holiday events start Saturday, Dec. 3

A new tree on Middlebury’s town green, decorated for its first holiday season, is ready for the Dec. 3 tree lighting. (Marjorie Needham photos).

#MIDDLEBURY #TREELIGHTING #SANTA

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Middlebury’s holiday events start Saturday, Dec. 3, with Breakfast with Santa from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at St. John of the Cross Church at 1321 Whittemore Road in Middlebury. Attendees can enjoy a Continental-style breakfast, games, and crafts and have their pictures taken with Santa. This event is free.

The Gingerbread Village at St. George’s Episcopal Church on Tucker Hill Road, also a free event, opens Saturday at 10 a.m. and will be open until 7 p.m. In addition to touring the gingerbread village, visitors can buy lunch and purchase crafts, gingerbread cookies and more.

The annual tree lighting on the green will start at 4 p.m. In addition to the tree lighting, it will feature performances by Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and the Brass City Ballet, along with caroling around the green.

Santa will arrive on a fire truck around 4:35 to 4:45 p.m. He will visit with children in the Middlebury Congregational Church social hall, where hot chocolate will be served.

This year, a brand new tree stands on the green. It is the first planted tree since the last one died about five years ago. After that, the town started using cut evergreens that were removed from the green after the holidays.

This year, Middlebury resident Peter Vileisis, owner of Waterbury Demolition, spotted the 30′ to 35′ tall tree on a job site in Litchfield and offered to donate it to the town. It was moved from Litchfield and planted on the green in the middle of the drought. But a water line running to the tree from the Middlebury Congregational Church parsonage allowed the tree to flourish in its new location.

Parks and Rec Director Betty Proulx said past trees have died because they didn’t get enough sun. The new tree has been planted in a sunnier spot on the green, hopefully will do well for a very long time.

Also on the green is Santa’s post office box. Children are encourage to place their letters to Santa in the box.

Later in the month a menorah will be erected on the green and on Saturday, Dec. 24, at 3:30 p.m. the first candle of the Hanukkah holiday will be lit and blessings will be sung.

                     Middlebury’s 2016 ornament

Middlebury’s 2016  town ornament honors the 75th anniversary of the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department with the image of a fire truck. The ornaments, made by Woodbury Pewter, are $8 each and are on sale at town hall, the Middlebury Parks and Rec Department office and Sullivan’s Jewelers.