Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016

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he holiday season is nearly upon us, and that means some of the best, timeless and enjoyable celebrations are just around the corner. The East Bay stages great holiday traditions, from downtown block parties, to Santas on firetrucks, Christmas trees made from lobster pots, fire-juggling street performers, and children welcoming the season in song.

See what's in store this season right in your hometown or a short drive away.

BARRINGTON Get ready for holiday themed mini golf, giant-sized Candyland game, and a visit from Santa Claus.

Barrington's largest holiday celebration — the annual tree lighting festival — will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the town hall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The festival has become a favorite destination for residents, as it offers something for everyone — arts and crafts, music, free hot chocolate, a number of singing performances, a visit from Santa Claus, and maybe most importantly, the lighting of the trees in front of the town hall.

The arts and crafts (this will be held inside the school committee room in the

town hall) and other activities begin at about 10 a.m. and will continue through until 3:45 when Santa Claus is due to arrive. This year, Santa will be getting a ride from the Barrington Fire Department. He will also be accepting children's letters that day and handing out a small gift to each child.

At about 5 p.m., new Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha is scheduled to turn on the lights that fill the trees in front of the town hall. Musical performances will continue until about 5:15 p.m.

Food trucks and other vendors will be available throughout the day.

Recently, Barrington officials increased the number of lights in the annual display. They also shifted from the traditional lights to more efficient LED lights.

WARREN WARREN HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: Warren comes alive for the holidays as a large tree-lighting ceremony, workshops, concerts and other events starts Friday and continues all day Saturday.

WHEN: The festival begins in the early evening of Friday, Nov. 25, with numerous events in downtown Warren. It culminates with a tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. in front of Warren Town Hall. The

fun continues Saturday, Nov. 26, with numerous holiday events, parties and concerts throughout downtown Warren.

BRISTOL The calendar had barely flipped to November and already the lights that shine in downtown Bristol throughout the Christmas season were being installed.

Town workers were in the bucket truck on Hope Street Tuesday, Nov. 1, beginning to install the lights on lamp posts in the downtown area as Bristol prepares for its holiday celebration, highlighted by the Grand Illumination on Dec. 3.

The 29th annual Bristol Christmas Festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the town from across the East Bay. The main event, which traditionally ended the festival, instead will kick it off Saturday at 4 p.m., a switch made last year to accommodate businesses downtown, Christmas Festival Committee Chairwoman Tanya Kieron said.

“After the illumination last year, we couldn’t get in anywhere — everything was packed, which is great,” Ms. Kieron said. “It’s going to be great again this year.

Continued on page 4 Holiday Guide 2016

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After arriving by fire engine, Santa hands out treats to youngsters outside Lees Market in Westport last December.

We always make it bigger and better every year.”

The Bristol Christmas Festival includes: • The Grand Illumination - Saturday, Dec. 3, 4 p.m. at the Burnside Building on Hope Street. Santa Claus will flip the switch on the town decorations, and local school choruses will perform for the crowd.

• Breakfast with Santa — Sunday, Dec. 4, 8 a.m. - noon, at Mt. Hope High School on Chestnut Street. The event includes a children’s craft workshop.

• Many Moods of Christmas Concert — Sunday, Dec. 4, 3-5 p.m., St. Mary’s Church, 300 Wood St. • Christmas Storytime — Saturday, Dec. 10, 1-3 p.m., at Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope St. • Living Windows Holiday Display — Saturday, Dec. 10, 3-7 p.m., Downtown Bristol. Merchants will bring Christmas storybooks to life in their display windows.

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Holiday Guide 2016

PORTSMOUTH The Portsmouth Free Public Library’s annual tree-lighting is the first Sunday in December, and the town-owned Glen Manor House hosts an open house the following weekend.

WHEN: Tree lighting is Sunday, Dec. 4 HIGHLIGHTS: Complimentary cocoa, cookies and caroling in the lobby and the tree-lighting will take place after Santa Claus arrives on a fire truck at 6 p.m. After that, Santa will greet children inside and candy canes will be given to each one.

Don’t forget to bring a camera!

The library is located at 2658 East Main Road, Portsmouth. For more information, call 401/683-9457.

OTHER EVENTS The town-owned Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, a French chateau-style home built in the early 1920s, will host its annual Christmas Open House from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Bring the family to see extraordinary decorations and to enjoy Yuletide cheer.

Santa will arrive at 2:45 p.m. for pictures

and there will be plenty of local talent and entertainment. Admission is free.

The Glen Manor House is located at 3 Frank Coelho Drive, Portsmouth. For more information, call 401/683-4177 or visit www.glenmanorhouse.com.

TIVERTON SANTA’S SPECIAL RIDE: Santa will make his annual fire engine trek to the Tiverton tree lighting ceremony at Town Hall (on the first or second Saturday evening in September — stay tuned, the date was not yet set at publication date).

He will travel not by sleigh but aboard a most special old fire truck purchased by the late Tiverton firefighter Gerry Leduc, Little Compton FD Lieutenant Dave Wood and a couple of friends.

Before firefighter Leduc lost his life trying to save a person at Stafford Pond, he and those friends refurbished their fire truck. Each year they would attach a seat to the ladder for Santa to sit on as he made his rounds about town.

“Each year when the town held its tree

lighting, it was something that Gerry always stepped up to do without question,” said Chief Robert Lloyd. “We continue that tradition of taking Santa to the tree lighting to honor Gerry.”

At Town Hall, Santa and the crowd will be serenaded by the Tiverton High School Band in festivities organized by the Rec. Department. He’ll then head inside for refreshments and perhaps a Night Before Christmas reading.

• Tiverton Four Corners hosts holiday open houses through the season — — Winter’s Arts & Artisan Fair is December 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Meeting House, 3850 Main Road.

— Four Corners Arts Center 5th Annual re-Tree … An outdoor showcase of festive trees created from found and recycled objects. Opening reception December 10 from 4-6 p.m. on the Lawn of the Meeting House.

WESTPORT, MA Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery gets the holidays off to an early and festive start with its 21st annual open house on Saturday, Nov. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free, fine for all ages, and there will be plenty of parking.

There will be free vineyard hayrides all day long, hot cocoa, kettle fires, Christmas music, games for the kids, art gallery and scenic views.

The open house features reduced price wine tastings all day long, along with food from Newie Casciano and her Foodzilla Food Truck. There will be local vendors including Dartmouth Orchards, Shy Brothers Cheese, Hana’s Honey, bread from Not Your Average Joe’s, and an Alpaca petting zoo.

The vineyard is located at 417 Hix Bridge Road, Westport • Westport firefighters will once again give Santa a lift to Lees Market aboard a fire engine where he’ll greet youngsters.

They were still working out details with St. Nick — it’s a busy time for him — when this went to press. Firefighters predict, though, that a Saturday in early December is the best bet. Check Westport Shorelines or Lees Market for details.

• For music to set the holiday mood, Westport Community Schools students have just the thing. Elementary school youngsters offer their holiday choral and band concert in the WES auditorium on Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

They’re decking the halls at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth in preparation for the annual Christmas Open House on Sunday, Dec. 11.

TIM MARSHALL

Madelyn and Logan Collins greet Santa at last year’s tree-lighting at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. This year’s event is on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Holiday Guide 2016

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Budgeting for the

HOLIDAYS

Holiday spending stressing you out? Have a plan!

S

hoppers across the country routinely make the holiday season one of the biggest spending periods of the year.

American Research Group, Inc., said that in 2015 the average predicted expenditure on gifts equaled $882, which was up from $861 the previous year.

Many holiday shoppers worry about whether or not they will have enough money for gifts, while others anticipate using credit cards or other financing methods to stretch their abilities to spend even further. This can make the holiday season more stressful than it needs to be while affecting finances into the new year.

Budgeting for the holidays is a great way to keep spending in check. With these suggestions and shopping strategies, holiday shoppers can better manage their spending.

Look at spending from last year The first step to establishing a budget is to review spending from last year. See how much you allotted to each person and how much you actually ended up spending on those people.

Did you go over or under? Think about the other ways you spent money, including on decorations, entertaining, etc. Once you have a clear picture of how you spent your money last year, you can start building a budget for this year.

Set limits on spending You may want to be generous with everyone and go above

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Holiday Guide 2016

and beyond, but overspending is impractical and can have some grave consequences. Many financial planners recommend shoppers spend no more than 1.5 percent of annual income on holiday expenses, so establish realistic spending limits that won’t break the bank.

Make lists of high-priority gifts Select the gifts that have the most importance or those you want to buy the most, and budget with them in mind. Resist the temptation to buy extra items in an effort to make gifts look more impressive.

Keep track of spending Be sure to keep receipts and maintain a log of all your holiday spending. You will not know if you are sticking to your budget if you do not keep a running tab of all your spending.

Those receipts and spending records also will be handy to keep for next year when you have to establish a new budget.

Correct mistakes promptly If you spend a little more than intended on one gift, make the proper adjustments the next time you go out shopping.

Otherwise, those few dollars here and there can really add up.

Holiday shopping can be expensive if shoppers let things get out of hand. However, by establishing a budget based on prior purchases, and keeping track of spending, it’s much easier to stay afloat this holiday season.

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Holiday Guide 2016

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Be the hostess with the mostest Tips for first-time holiday dinner hosts Hosting a holiday meal for loved ones provides an exciting opportunity to bring family and friends together during a special time of year. First-time hosts may be a little nervous and put pressure on themselves to make the meal just right. But there are a few tricks of the trade novices can employ to calm their nerves and enjoy their first foray into holiday hosting.

Go with what you know Experimenting in the kitchen can be fun, but such experimentation should be avoided when hosting for the holidays. When planning the menu for your holiday dinner, choose a main course that you have prepared in the past. Familiarity can calm your nerves, and you’re less likely to forget key ingredients when preparing a meal you have made several times in the past. If you want to experiment a little, do so with desserts that you can prepare and test for taste several days in advance. If the desserts don’t pan out, you will still have a few days to find an alternative.

Get a head start wherever possible The day friends and family are coming to visit figures to be hectic. In addition to preparing the meal, hosts must also ready their homes so they can create a welcoming environment for their guests. Once you have chosen the menu, look for items that can be prepared in advance of the big day. Desserts can often be made several days in advance, as can certain side dishes. Do as much prep work for the main course the night before the meal as possible.

Double check your pantry Even if you’re making a meal you have made a dozen times in the past, peruse your pantry to make sure you have every ingredi-

ent you’re going to need. If you’re used to making the meal for four people but will now be making the meal for 12 of them, make sure you have enough of each ingredient to make the meal in bulk. To make things easier, update your recipe to reflect the additional guests before going to the grocery store.

Doing so guarantees you won’t run out of ingredients once you start preparing the meal.

Ask guests to bring nonessential items Guests will likely offer to bring something to the holiday dinner, and there’s nothing wrong with accepting help. But don’t ask guests to bring items that are essential to the meal, as that can delay the meal if guests get

stuck in traffic or show up late. Instead, ask guests to bring a bottle of wine, a small dessert or even some snacks guests can eat while waiting for the main course.

Ask about food allergies While hosts don’t need to cater to every food allergy under the sun, ask each guest if there is any particular food or ingredient they absolutely must avoid. If enough guests admit they must avoid a particular dish, you then know not to prepare it. In addition, have plenty of vegetables on hand for guests who are vegan or vegetarian.

Holiday hosting is fun, and first-time hosts can make it even more fun by employing a few veteran tricks of the trade.

Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016

LOOK YOUR BEST! Simple ways to dress up your home for the holidays Decorating for the holiday season can be time-consuming. While decking the halls may not consume as much time as holiday shopping and wrapping presents, interior and exterior decorating for the holidays may consume anywhere from 2.5 to 3 hours per session. Though elaborate displays can take hours to erect, time-crunched holiday celebrants can still create festive, welcoming displays.

• HANG HOLIDAY WREATHS Holiday enthusiasts without much time to decorate can invest in a couple of holiday wreaths, which can be dressed up as much or as little as celebrants prefer. If you do not have the time to string lights on the house, wrap them around wreaths hung in windows or hang the wreaths on a home’s main entrance. Celebrants who want to go a less traditional route can hang wreaths made of holly, citrus fruits, ribbons, or any other greenery instead of the more customary evergreen wreaths.

• DECORATE WITH ORNAMENTS Ornaments are not exclusive to Christmas trees. Fill a vase or bowl with metallic ornaments and place it in a prominent location, such as a busy hallway or the foyer of your home.

Hang ornaments on clear filament from the mantle or within the main window of the house, where they can reflect tree lights and add sparkle.

• BRING IN MORE GREENERY Drape evergreen boughs on staircase handrailings or on the mantle, or use greenery to frame doorways. The scent will be inviting and things instantly will look more festive.

• USE THROWS AND DECORATIVE PILLOWS Change the look of a room with holiday-colored decor if

you do not want to clutter the space with knickknacks. A red and green blanket draped over the sofa can give off a comforting holiday vibe.

• FOCUS ON THE FRONT DOOR AND ENTRYWAY Celebrants who do not have the time to decorate their entire homes can create a warm, inviting space by decorating their front doors and entryways.

Place greenery, bows, tinsel, lights, and winterinspired accessories by the front door so friends and family visiting for the season catch the holiday spirit the moment they walk through the door.

• PLACE LED CANDLES IN WINDOWS Rather than contending with twinkle lights and electric cords, homeowners can employ battery-operated faux candles to create a homey appeal in windows and hallways throughout their homes.

Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016

How to manage holiday shopping trips with tots in tow Holiday shopping has changed considerably since the dawn of the Information Age. Whereas holiday shopping once required shoppers to spend hours perusing stores at the local mall, nowadays many shoppers get the bulk of their shopping done online.

Shopping online may be convenient, but more traditional holiday shopping still affords shoppers the chance to find great deals, especially at the last minute. Parents may prefer to leave the kids at home when holiday shopping, but sometimes they don’t have a choice. Fortunately, there are ways to manage holiday shopping trips with kids in tow.

ENCOURAGE KIDS TO CREATE SHOPPING LISTS Keeping kids engaged on holiday shopping trips can be difficult, especially when shopping at stores that tend to draw crowds and long lines.

But parents can engage youngsters by encouraging them to create their own

holiday shopping lists for family members and then helping them find those gifts at the mall or wherever they plan to do their holiday shopping. Let kids bring their lists along and check off gifts as they purchase them.

LET KIDS DO THEIR OWN SHOPPING In addition to creating lists, let kids do their own shopping, including paying for gifts they purchase for loved ones. Kids might be more interested when holiday shopping if they’re allowed to peruse stores for potential gifts and then purchase gifts with their own money.

BREAK UP SHOPPING EXCURSIONS WITH A MEAL Kids enjoy dining out, even if their preferences lean more toward chicken fingers than steak au poivre. By breaking up shopping excursions with meals out on the town, parents can give kids something to look forward to at the onset of the shopping day. Such

a break also gives everyone, moms and dads included, a chance to get off their feet and catch their breath. When the meal is over, promise kids a trip to get some ice cream or hot chocolate at the end of the day so they once again have something to look forward to.

SCHEDULE SOME FUN TIME While parents pressed for time might not have much time to do anything but shop, kids are likely to grow impatient if the day does not include at least one fun distraction. Look for malls or shopping centers that feature fun things for kids to do, such as carousel rides or visits with Santa Claus. While this might require parents to spend more time at the mall or shopping center than they initially hoped, it can help keep kids engaged while giving them something fun to do at the same time.

Parents who must take their kids along on holiday shopping excursions can take steps to make such trips fun for all involved.

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Holiday Guide 2016

How to make gift wrapping easier WRAP AS YOU BUY Instead of getting bogged down with wrapping all in one evening, wrap presents as you purchase them. This ensures that you don’t leave everything for the last minute and reduces the likelihood that curious kids or inquisitive spouses discover gifts before the big day.

WORK ON A HARD SURFACE It may be tempting to lay everything out on your bed and wrap gifts while you’re bingewatching the latest Netflix series. But hard surfaces make the best places to wrap gifts. This ensures there won’t be any wrinkles in the paper and that you won’t lose supplies in the bedspread.

RELY ON DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE For that professional look, invest in some double-sized tape so you will not have any unsightly tape lines.

KEEP ALL OF YOUR SUPPLIES TOGETHER Store wrapping paper, scissors, tags, tape, ribbons, and whatever else you may need to wrap gifts in one convenient location. This cuts

down on time wasted hunting for supplies around the house.

DRAW ON PLAIN GIFT BOXES Make your own “wrapped gifts” by drawing or stenciling on plain gift boxes if you’re short on time.

IDENTIFY RECIPIENTS BY GIFT WRAP Designate one gift wrap for each person on your shopping list. This way you can easily distinguish one person’s gifts from another’s. This can keep things more organized when sorting and visiting with friends and relatives later on.

KEEP GIFT BAGS ON HAND Gift bags work in a pinch and make it easy to conceal gifts that are hard to wrap. Curious loved ones can easily peak inside gift bags, so be sure to wrap gifts in tissue paper before placing them in the bags.

LESS IS USUALLY MORE Do not use too much paper when wrapping; otherwise, you will be left with bulky, sloppy folds. Before trimming the gift wrap from the roll, check that it overlaps the ends of the box by just a couple of inches. A sturdy paper will help you achieve crisper folds and prevent tears when wrapping. For the simplest wrapping design, try kraft paper (brown mailing paper), which can be dressed up with ribbons, cutouts or stamps.

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Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016

Holiday Guide 2016

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Holiday Guide 2016