Written by Gabby Vigorito|
Photos by Gabby Vigorito|
The 21st annual Christmas in Clinton was held on Sunday, December 4, 2016. From 1pm-6pm, the town came together to celebrate the holidays throughout the center of Clinton.
The Scheduled Events included:
- Soups On, which was hosted by Families Helping Families. At this event, various restaurants in Clinton competed for the Best Soup in Clinton Soup Bowl Trophy. For this contest, judges paid $5 to sample the entries.
- This year the Clinton Fire Department Won this contest.
- Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt, which was hosted by Eliot REACT, Morgan REACT, and Partners in Community. At this event, kids searched businesses’s in the center of Clinton for the Elf on the Shelf. When they found the elves in multiple places, they got stamps to show they have located them all. Then they were entered to win an Elf on the Shelf Book/ Kit.
- Cookie Decorating was held at Liberty Bank, at this event children 8 and under stopped by to decorate a sugar cookie which they ate after decorating.
- Clinton Art Gallery offered raffles with prizes, live music, a silent auction, Christmas poem readings, lottery drawings, and refreshments, including wine and coffee.
- Bagpipes were played throughout the night outside Scottish Dave’s.
- People created ornaments for soldiers at Cindy Stevens Fine Art.
- Santa’s Workshop was hosted by the Pretty Committee and Pierson REACT. In this little building, kids walked into a winter wonderland where they helped the elves in Santa’s Workshop while enjoying treats with Meet Mrs. Claus.
- Students from Kidz Konnection were impersonating various characters from Christmas stories throughout the night, taking photos with people who walked by.
- A Craft Fair and Bake Sale was hosted by Shoreline Community Woman Inc. The Craft Fair was held in the green room of Andrews Memorial Town Hall. There were over 25 different vendors selling all kinds of merchandise. They sold jewelry, Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, scarves, ornaments, and much more. There was also a bake sale with lots of treats.
- Santa rode on a fire truck through the center of Clinton and arrived at the Town Hall. There he got off the truck and went on the steps to light the tree. He later went downstairs to the rose room to greet the kids and take photos with them. This was all Sponsored by Clinton Insurance Center and UBS Financial Services. And Shoreline Community Women will provide free cocoa and cookies.
- In the foyer of the Town Hall, the Arbor Garden Club of Clinton hosts a Tree and Wreath Silent Auction every year. All the money collected goes towards the AGCC Scholarship program. The bidding ended at 5:30 and shortly after they called the winner, and told them to come back to the town hall to claim their tree or wreath.
- Face Painting and Ornament Making was hosted by Morgan React and Partners in the Community which was held in Holy Advent Parish Hall.
- Bruse Farmer, our First Selectman, attended Christmas in Clinton and talked to people about his first few months in office. Every person he met he said, “It’s not a career for me, it’s a calling.”
- Chips Pub ,a restaurant right in the center of Clinton, provides free kid meals during Christmas in Clinton. Junior Abby Pitarra is a hostess at Chips Pub, and she said, “We had a bigger turnout than we thought we would, the wait was really long and with the kid meals being free the place was packed.”
Some Morgan students also attended Christmas in Clinton. Sophomore Angela Recine arrived at Christmas in Clinton at 12pm and left at 6pm. She was one of the face painters at Holy Advent Parish Hall. She painted candy canes, penguins, Christmas trees, snowflakes, etc. Other than painting kids face’s she went to the church tour across from Pierson, which was a new event this year, and she went to the food trucks. Angela said, “My favorite part was the church tour, I can’t think of any improvements to the day.” She loved working with the kids and spent the whole day interacting with them.
Junior Olivia Silver also attended Christmas in Clinton. She arrived at 2:30pm and left at 6pm. She went to the REACT face painting and the nativity scene. She didn’t work it, but she has a lot of fun walking around with friends and family. She loved seeing all the animals and she noted the kids enjoyed them as well.
Overall the night was a success, and all the children had fun.
