The Friends of the Easton Public Library are delighted to offer a full afternoon of seasonal activities this Sunday, Dec. 5, from 2 to 6 p.m. as we all get into the holiday mood. The festivities include our traditional tree lighting at 5 p.m., and this year we are adding plenty of activities for all ages: The Barlow Chamber Singers will treat us with their gifts of song and harmony, Santa and Ms. Claus will talk and sing with the children, and there will be cookies and hot chocolate for all.
This year, the Friends group has enhanced the craft and vendor fair to include many local artisans and vendors showcasing their wares and helping us all with our holiday gift shopping. Most will be indoors, in and around the Library’s Community Room. Also featured this year will be a Children’s Used Book table, and the Friends’ own custom scented candles. The fair will also raffle off more than 10 attractive gifts from featured artisans in and around Easton.
“Gatherings like these are one of the reasons we all love Easton so much,” said one of the Friends’ key organizers, Kelly Skarupa. “It’s so wonderful to have everyone together at a locale that we all love, here in the heart of the town — our local library. We are thrilled by the enthusiasm of all the vendors who have agreed to be with us!
“We have a wide selection of gifts from talented local people who are eager to join us,” Skarupa added. “We’ve been so pleased to hear from those in our community who want to be part of this celebration.”
The list of sellers includes:
| Fairy Cozy Shop: Handmade Pillows Throws/Home Décor |
| Girl Scout Troop: TEAM TJ : Homemade Dog Biscuits, Tile Painting |
| Grateful Pawz: Pet Coats/Sweaters |
| Honey Bunny Soaps: Soaps/Lip balm etc. |
| Imaginariums by Elissa: Container Gardens, Terrarium Workshops |
| Jason Curtis: Hand Blown Glass Items |
| Komfort Zone: Soaps, Body Butter, Bath Bombs, Sugar Scrubs , Oils |
| Lee Skalkos: Silver Jewelry |
| Mayang: Prepared Packaged Homemade Foods |
| Mindfulness with Ashley: Mindfulness and Meditation for Kids |
| Quest for the Beasties : Plush Toys, Holiday Cards, Nature-inspired Illustrations |
| Roaring Acres Alpacas: Alpaca Products – Gloves, Socks, Hats , Mittens etc. |
| Sara Hunsucker Studio: Ceramics |
| Send a Smile Cards: Stocking Stuffers and Greeting Cards |
| The Children’s Corner: Used Children’s Books from the Library’s Collection |
| The Friends of the Library: Custom 06612 Scented Soy Candles |
| The Fuzzy Bumblebee: Bows and Masks |
| The Rescued Earth: Notecards |
| Toyota Westport: Holiday Car and Music |
| Trellis & Vine: Wreaths and Flowers |
| UU Westport Treasures: Vintage Jewelry and Scarves |
Long-time Easton resident Sharon Poole is happy to have an occasion to share vintage jewelry from the Westport collection. “We have run our jewelry sale as part of our Unitarian Universalist holiday fundraising for many years. We always have an eclectic and gorgeous collection of earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more that people have donated and swapped. Our usual December Sunday morning event has been interrupted by Covid, but we are pleased to share these wonderful pieces with our Easton friends. For me, it’s a win-win-win: support my spiritual home, bring some fun to my Easton community, and support my town library. What could be better?”
First Selectman David Bindelglass will turn on the lights at 5 p.m. after the Barlow Chamber Singers have sung for the gathering. Santa and Ms. Claus are scheduled to visit from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Gift shopping will be open until 6 p.m.
“The Friends of the Easton Public Library continues to be a wonderful way to support our town gem, the Library,” said Beth Cliff, president of the Friends group. “We’ve been blessed with a strong brand from the many years the Friends have been supporting the Library under the leadership of Gina Orticelli and Joelle Johnston. Now we’re just adding some more activities to keep up with our vibrant town, especially given new families moving into the area these past few years. We’re excited about all the positive energy and good spirits!
“We have a growing bunch of volunteers and members who are working to allow us to add to the Library’s offerings in our town: museum passes, online subscriptions, summer reading program support, One Book/One Town books, and programs and improvements that couldn’t otherwise be afforded. After our Giving Day celebration in April, our Wine and Cheese party in June, and our Used Book Sale in October, we have raised over $12K to supplement the Library — and we had a lot of good community fun in the process. Now we have this fair in December. And we’re just getting started! Stay tuned for next year!”
To find out more about the Friends, please go to our website, www.eastonlibraryfriends.org, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Questions? Contact friends@eastonlibrary.org.
