…. UPDATED: 11/19/08 ….

Norman Rockwell’s got nothin’ on Darien this holiday season …  I’m looking forward to sharing all of the upcoming holiday festivities and events in town on this post, which you might want to bookmark because it will be growing and changing as new events and holiday information come across my desk.

The first thing I’d like to make sure you know about is the Holiday Helpers program being offered by the Darien YMCA.  Umm … YA … weekend daycare in December! But reservations are required, so get to your phone and call over there quickly!

FYI: The Holiday Happenings are listed according to date, counting down from Dec 30th.

FREE MOVIE MORNING — Saturday, December 20th, Darien Playhouse — 9:30am.  Both screens at the Theater will be playing a free movie (maybe we’ll vote on which one?) to start (or end) your day of downtown shopping.  Mark your calendars for that, and I’ll post more information when I’ve got it.

Community Carol-Sing at Tilley Pond and Luminary Lighting — Sunday, December 14th, 4pm to 5pm, Tilley Pond Park.  Darien’s local church choirs and clergy will come together to lead the community in Christmas carols before lighting the Center For Hope luminaries around the pond and signalling the rest of us throughout town to light ours … I have goosebumps just thinking about it!

Annual Darien Sport Shop Tree Lighting ceremony — Sunday, November 30th, 5pm to 7pm behind the Darien Sport Shop. Santa will be coming to town on a firetruck at 5pm, and all the kids are invited to sit on his lap and tell him if they’ve been naughty or nice!  There will be carolers, hot cocoa and cookies while we wait in line for Santa, and I’ve hear a rumor that there might even be goodie bags for the early birds containing gifts and coupons from Darien stores …!  The tree lighting ceremony will begin around 5:45, and will include singing by Darien High School’s Tudor Singers … and the lights will go on around 6 o’clock on the big tree and all throughout town at hich point we will sing a few carols.  Just to give you an idea of the scope of this event, last year there were an estimated 500 people in attendance!  It’s a super fun way to kick off the Christmas season, see you there!

YWCA Autumn Look Around the House Tour — Weds, November 19th! I just got some inside scoop on the House Tour, which is that there are some A-MAZING features in the homes included in this tour: bedrooms better than Disneyland, a custom-created window that is also a working, ticking clock, and (drumroll): you will even get up close and personal with a genuine Dale Chihuly sculpture!  This is not your average “peek through the window at someone else’s fabulous home” event: this is going to be a truly mind-blowing tour that promises to leave you brimming with ideas and dreams.  Unlike previous years, this year’s tour is only one session from 9:30am to 1:00pm — you must buy your tickets in advance, and are strongly encouraged to pick them up on Tuesday rather than waiting until Weds morning.

I’m also working on some extremely exciting promotions myself, which I will be unveiling soon but which I think you’re definitely going to likey.  Stay tuned …!

In the meantime, and in preparation for holiday shopping, I invite you to browse through the newly re-launched Retail & Services Register and rate/review your favorite local businesses!  Come on, share — it’s anonymous and really helpful to your neighbors.

So they’ve gone ahead and done it, and if you live in the area you have probably been bracing yourself for the eventuality, but if you don’t you should brace yourself: it’s a big pain.  The Hollow Tree Ridge Road train and highway bridge (right at Noroton Heights train station) has been closed to traffic.

Now foot traffic is still allowed (thank God, if it weren’t the 5 minute walk to the train so many of us enjoy in the neighborhood would increase by at least 25 minutes).  However, for those of you who use Hollow Tree Ridge Road to get across town and through Noroton Heights, you need to plan a good 10 minutes of detour time to your route, or try to find another way that’s more direct.

And remember NOT to SPEED … if you think you’ll be able to zoom down Heights Road to make up for lost time, you’ll be sorry when Darien’s Finest pulls you over: I regularly see cars getting tickets on this road, and I imagine they’ll be paying closer attention to Maple Ave, which runs parallel to Heights Road but on the other side of the tracks & highway, as well.

I think I read that this is going to be a 6-month project … anyone?

Wow, so I just found out about this Bargain Tuesdays deal while checking movie times for this weekend’s AllAbout This Weekend bulletin: at the Darien Playhouse on Tuesday nights, after 6:30pm, all seats are only $5.50 per person — which, to me, is a pretty significant discount!  Kind of makes a fun excuse to get out of the house on a weeknight to enjoy a new release on the big screen instead of on cable …!

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