Newtown will be welcoming Santa to town this weekend.
Tree Lighting:
The Newtown Mercantile Group and the Newtown Fire Association will be hosting their annual tree lighting Friday evening in the parking lot of the fire station at Washington Avenue and Liberty Street.
The event will start at 6 p.m. with holiday tunes by DJ Adam Mineola, cookies and hot chocolate. At 7 p.m. Santa will be escorted by borough police and light the Christmas tree at 6 p.m. Afterwards, he visits his home at the fire station and hears Christmas wishes from local children.
The event is free and parents are encouraged to bring their cameras.
Midnight Madness:
As many as 15 Newtown Borough businesses will be open Friday late into the night – some as late as midnight – in order to kick off the holiday shopping season.
According to the Newtown Mercantile Group, many of the stores that are open late will be offering promotions and treats that only get better the later it gets.
A full list of stores participating will be available on Newtownmercantilegroup.org.
Holiday House Tour:
The Newtown Historic Association will be hosting their 54th Holiday House Tour Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will give attendees an inside look into some of Newtown’s historic buildings and homes. The tour will feature six private homes, seven public buildings and an opportunity to enjoy 18th century musical entertainment, hearth side colonial cooking demonstrations and refreshments of mulled cider and cheese, according to organizers.
Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased in advance at the Newtown Book & Record Exchange on State Street and at newtownhistoric.org.On the day of the tours, tickets can be purchased at Half-Moon Inn at Court Street and Centre Avenue and at the Stocking Works on South State Street. Children under 12 years old are free.
Holiday Parade:
The 2015 parade.
Credit: Newtown Business Association
The Newtown Business Association‘s McCaffrey’s Food Markets Newtown Holiday Parade will kick off Sunday at 2 p.m.
The parade will march from the Stocking Works on South State Street to Washington Avenue and makes a left turn and then turns right onto Sycamore Street where it will end at Durham Road.
Last year, the parade drew close to 2,000 people along the route and had over 50 groups participating, including local businesses, Mummers, first responders and local school kids.
The business association hands out awards for groups in the following judged categories: Most Unique Float, Most Festive Float, Best Overall Float, Most Creative non-Float Vehicle, Best Holiday Spirit non-Float Vehicle, Best Small Walking Group, Best Mid-Size Walking Group, Best Large Walking Group, Best Costume Mummers, Best Performance Mummers, and Best in Show.
Santa House:
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Santa will be meeting with kids in his home at the Newtown Fire Association at Washington Avenue and Liberty Street. The event is put together by the Newtown Mercantile Group and the volunteer firefighters.
