The 6th Annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend kicks off with festivities and family fun on Saturday, December 6 from 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday, December 7 from noon to 5:00pm., featuring more than 110 Greenwich merchants and restaurants offering special promotions, refreshments and in-store events.
All participating retailers and activities can be found on an interactive map accessed online at www.GreenwichReindeerFestival.com and by mobile devices.
A new attraction this year is a live Nativity in front of First United Methodist Church of Greenwich with a a camel, llama, cow, donkey and five sheep. The story of Christ’s birth will be performed by area churches.
This annual event includes horse-drawn carriage rides, professional ice sculptors, music and entertainment, children’s activities, live reindeer and photos with Santa.
Parking in downtown Greenwich will be free all weekend, compliments of the Greenwich Town Party.
The event will feature merchants throughout the downtown, from Simon Pearce to Ralph Lauren to McArdle’s, each offering a special attraction in their store. From card-writing to overseas troops at C. Parker Gallery to chair massage at Relax the Back to the unveiling of the Christmas Dollhouse at Whimsies Dollhouse Shop, there will be something for everyone this year, including letter-writing to Santa at 16 stores.
Special Santa’s mailboxes will be located at 21 stores throughout town, including a commemorative box at the historic post office, now Restoration Hardware.
Ever-popular activities are complimentary horse drawn carriage rides. One route, sponsored by GreenwichVIP.com and Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom of Greenwich, will travel down Greenwich Avenue and up Mason Street, and another, sponsored by Greenwich Magazine, will loop from the bottom of Greenwich Avenue to Railroad Avenue to Arch Street and back down Greenwich Avenue.
Children will especially enjoy the Kempo Academy bouncy castle behind TD Bank, exhibition and complimentary family programs at the Greenwich Arts Council and a professional ice sculpture demonstration sponsored by Greenwich Magazine in front of the Greenwich Senior Center.
A live holiday music tent, sponsored by Greenwich Hospital will be set up in front of Bank of America. The tent will feature 12 music groups over the two days incluidng the Greenwich Public Schools Honor Choir: Prima Voice; Greenwich Baptist Church Christmas Carols; Three for the Road; Connecticut Playmakers; Barbara’s Serenade; The Masters Singers; Off Sounders; The Pop Music Academy; Temple Sholom Teen Choir: Sasson; Silvertones; The Angel Choir; and New World Chorus.
To satisfy the appetite, there will be special treats at many of the stores provided by Greenwich restaurants and caterers in addition to a Food Truck Village at the Board of Education parking lot, food trucks at East Putnam and a Whole Foods Market tent.
And not to be missed are live reindeer and photos with Santa at McArdle’s Florist & Garden Center for the 6th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop, November 28 to December 24, 2014. Photo packages begin at $29.99 and include a Shreve, Crump & Low gift bag filled with promotions redeemable at participating downtown Greenwich stores. The bag will also include a card and a $500 gift certificate to Shreve, Crump & Low that can be used anytime after the Reindeer Festival until December 31 on a purchase of $2,500 or more. Those who bring the card into the store might be the lucky winner of a TAG Heuer watch. During the Holiday Stroll Weekend, $5 from every photo package and $5 from every wreath purchased at McArdle’s will be donated to Kids in Crisis.
The 6th Annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend is made possible by the following sponsors: McArdle’s, Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich, Greenwich Hospital, La Suite Skincare, GreenwichVIP.com, Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom of Greenwich, M.H. Heaven Real Estate, David Lerner Associates, Kempo Academy of Martial Arts, Venture Photography, Vein Clinics of America and Whole Foods Market Greenwich. Premier Media Sponsors are Greenwich Magazine, The Advocate/Greenwich Time and Brooks Community Newspapers. Additional Media Sponsors are the Greenwich Post, News 12 Connecticut, 95.9 Fox, Fairfield Parent Magazine and AM1490 WGCH. Event partners include BarbaraEntertains.com, Cosi, Eagle Fence & Guardrail, Geigers Home + Garden, Interstate Lumber, Greenwich Handyman and the Greenwich Arts Council. This event was created and is produced by TMK Sports & Entertainment, a Greenwich-based event marketing company.
For more information, visit www.GreenwichReindeerFestival.com.