OLD LYME — Lyme Academy of Fine Arts welcomes the community to make magical memories at the inaugural Holiday Enchantment and Tree Lighting, which is being held Saturday, Dec. 4.
Adults and children are invited to gather on the campus of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts on Lyme Street from 1 to 5 p.m. for an afternoon of festive outdoor activities including art demonstrations, live musical performances, food and drinks by the fire, ornament and luminary making led by Lyme Academy artists, cookie decorating, and more.
In the holiday spirit of this community event, several area organizations will be contributing to the activities offered.
- Florence Griswold Museum will distribute artistic take-and-make kits
- Duck River Garden Club will run a Tussie Mussies station
- Pollinator Pathways will have medallions for sale
- PARJE (Public Art for Racial Justice Education) will give away mini-mural and coloring pages
- Ballet dancers from Eastern Connecticut Ballet will be on-site offering individual or group Nutcracker photo-opportunities with attendees.
Other organizations participating in the event include:
- Old Lyme Historical Society, Inc.
- Barn for Artistic Youth
- Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden
- Lyme-Old Lyme Lions’ Club
- Old Lyme Fire Department
- Lyme/Old Lyme EMS
- Old Lyme Land Trust
- Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library
- Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, and more.
All artistic activities will take place from 1 to 4 p.m.
A S’mores Galore station with coffee and hot cocoas will be available for all to enjoy.
Attendees will have an opportunity to purchase food and drinks to warm up and enjoy at one of the many fire-pits on site. A bar area for adults will have mulled wine, beer, wine and craft cocktails available for purchase.
Ramblin’ Dan Stevens will begin the event with live music from 1 to 2:30 p.m. followed by a holiday performance by the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School Band from 2:30 to 3 p.m.
At 4:30 p.m., the event will move to the tree-lighting as the Old Lyme Town Band leads the crowd in singing popular Christmas carols. Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold will then light the artistically-decorated Holiday Tree to close the evening.
“You’ll feel like you’ve walked into a winter wonderland”, says Lyme Academy Executive Director Mora Rowe. “We are thrilled to have so many community organizations gathering together to make special holiday memories for our local families and friends.”
She adds enthusiastically, “We look forward to this becoming an annual event for our townspeople to enjoy.”
Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Visit lymeacademy.edu for more information.
Editor’s Note: The mission of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is to teach the foundational skills of drawing, painting, and sculpture in the figurative tradition. By its commitment to training students in these skills and an engagement with contemporary discourse, the Academy will empower a new generation of artists. Through its programs, the Academy is committed to enriching the cultural life of the community.