OLD LYME — High Hopes Therapeutic Riding is transforming its indoor arena into a holiday marketplace today, Sunday, Nov. 13, for the Sixth Annual Holiday Market sponsored by Reynolds Subaru. The event begins at 11 a.m. and will feature more than 60 local vendors and exhibitors, as well as activities for the entire family including hayrides, a kids’ scavenger hunt, face painting, door prizes and raffle for a 2016 Subaru IV Crosstrek 2.0i.
Last year more than 2,000 visitors attended the event on High Hopes’ 120-acre facility to start their holiday shopping and enjoy popular area food trucks. Items for sale include hand-made jewelry, holiday décor, pottery, crafts, skin care products, organic produce and more.
This year’s gourmet and specialty food truck line-up includes Flanders Fish Market, The Rolling Tomato, The Whey Station, FryBorg, Munchies Food Truck and for dessert, Meriano’s Bakery and Cannoli Truck.
For the first time at the event, attendees can see a glassblowing demonstration by Arch One Glass, and meet Garbanzo, a nine-month-old Mongolian Bankhar Dog who is trained to help nomadic Mongolian families by protecting their livestock from predators.
Raffle and event beneficiaries
High Hopes will hold a raffle drawing at 3:45 p.m. at the Holiday Market for a 2016 Subaru IV Crosstrek 2.0i, an Apple Watch Sport, a New York City overnight with dinner and Broadway show tickets, and a pair of Sorrel Cowboy Boots. The cost of a raffle ticket is $50, with only 1,500 being sold.
Visitors are encouraged to attend the Holiday Market which raises funds that directly support the 1,538 children and adults who are served annually by High Hopes’ programs.
Admission to the Holiday Market is free with a suggested donation of a nonperishable food item for the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. Last year, more than 2,400 pounds of food was donated to help local families who struggle with hunger.
For more information about the event and to see a list of vendors, visit www.highhopestr.org, or contact Trudy Burgess at [email protected] or call 860-434-1974, ext. 123.