SOUTH BERWICK –South Berwick’s 2008 Home for the Holidays celebration on the first weekend in December will feature for the first time a caroling parade run by a church, the opening of the Sarah Orne Jewett House and an artist’s reception at the newly opened South Berwick Art Gallery.
The fourth annual South Berwick Home for the Holidays, led by local volunteers with the group SmartGrowth South Berwick, has grown from a small grassroots operation into a mainstay of the town’s holiday season. Dozens of business owners – retailers, restaurants and realtors -- open their doors to the public in one of the village’s most festive occasions.
Just a few weeks after 200 people packed town hall to hear a national speaker address the importance of small independent businesses, downtown South Berwick will hold its holiday festivities. From 5 - 8pm on Friday December 5, businesses from the toy store and yoga center to the florist and the framer will offer food, crafts, raffles and merry-making.
The celebration annually draws hundreds of people to stroll the village sidewalks. Home For the Holidays reminds residents that shopping downtown is more fun, more efficient and a better way to support the local economy.
At the heart of the celebration is the Women’s Holiday Art Sale. Now in its 9th year, the sale will open Friday from 5 - 8pm, featuring the work of two dozen women on the third floor of town hall. The sale continues Saturday from 10am - 3pm. The jewelry, leather goods, pottery, soap and other items for sale are all made by women from the area.
The Sarah Orne Jewett House will open its doors Friday and Saturday to visitors to visit the first floor and to browse for unique gift items, including redware pottery, glassware, books and stationery. At 10am Saturday, the Jewett House will invite children to a special children’s program featuring the reading of Jewett’s1884 Christmas story, “The Becket Girls’ Tree”. Children will be invited to stay and make simple Victorian ornaments and use them to decorate a tree. Refreshments will be served. Reservations are requested and can be made at 384-2454.
The South Berwick Art Gallery at the South Berwick Yoga Center will hold an exhibit reception in conjunction with the open house at the yoga center. The artist’s reception will be for local artists Rose Theriault of southern New Hampshire who works includes watercolor, gouache, printmaking, and drawing, and John Klossner, a cartoonist from South Berwick.
Santa Claus will welcome children at P. Gagnon; Ocean Bank will set up areas for children to write and decorate letters to Santa; Edward Jones will host Mrs. Claus reading stories, and The Little Hat Co. will have children making ornaments and helping to decorate the store’s Christmas tree. York Hospital invites children into the community room for face painting.
Strollers are invited to enjoy spiced wine at Abby Chic flower shop, cider at the Little Hat. Co. apple-cranberry cider at the Catered Event and homemade treats at the South Berwick Pharmacy.
The Masiello Group will host local videographer Tim Benoit’s work, “South Berwick” featuring montages of present day scenes and photos from the Old Berwick Historical Society.
The brochure is online at www.southberwickmaine.org.
Caption: Logo from Home for the Holidays Brochure (Courtesy photo)
