Community events: Nov. 28 through Dec. 7, 2016

For more upcoming events, click here for The Chester Telegraph calendar. To be included in our Upcoming Events briefs, email Susan Lampe-Wilson at calendar@chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please. Notices must be received by noon on Fridays to be eligible for publication the following week.

Overture to Christmas in Chester

Chester celebrates the season with two weeks of family friendly events celebrating the holidays around the town.

The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Nov. 28 and Tuesday, Nov. 29

Gingerbread House Workshop
4–5 p.m. at Fullerton Inn on the Common
The workshop is geared to children in third to sixth grade.

Friday, Dec. 2
Meet the Grinch!
4–5 p.m. at Phoenix Books, Misty Valley, 58 The Common
Bring food for the food bank and visit and get your photo taken with the Grinch.

Music by Dwelling
7 p.m. at Grounded4Life in the lower level of the Chester Baptist Church at 162 Main St.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Children’s Holiday Crafts
10 a.m-12:30 p.m. at Chester-Andover Elementary at 72 Main St.

Annual Tea & Sale
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcoalpal Church at 313 Main St.

Gingerbread House Judging
Noon at Fullerton Inn on the Common

overture-to-christmas-2016-pdf-1Santa’s Parade
3:45 p.m. kicks off at Chester-Andover Elementary at 72 Main St.

Santa Lights the Tree
4 p.m. on the Green, then meet Santa for cocoa and cookies at Fullerton Inn

Springfield Community Chorus
7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church 162 Main St.

Saturday, Dec.10

Senior Christmas Dinner
Noon at Chester Andover Elementary at 72 Main St.

Saxtons River Handbell Choir
7 p.m. at a place to be determined

Visit chestertelegraph.org and its calendar often to keep up with additional holiday events.

Dec. 2: Flood Brook school hosts holiday bazaar

Visit Flood Brook Union

Visit Flood Brook Union

Flood Brook Union School’s Annual Holiday Bazaar is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Friday, Dec. 2 in the school’s gymnasium at 91 VT-11, in Londonderry.

The event includes kids craft holiday treasures, a Gingerbread Contest, arts, crafts and local Vermont products.

Santa visits from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Munch on homemade snacks and treats. Bid on the silent auction and purchase tickets to the 50/50 raffle. All proceeds benefit the Student Activities Cooperative, which helps to pay for educational activities and student field trips.

Visit the school website for more information.

Grow your heart three sizes by visiting with the Grinch and donating to food banks

Grow your heart three sizes by visiting with the Grinch and donating to local food banks

Dec. 2: Grinch kicks off food drive
at Phoenix Books

Children and kids-at-heart will meet Dr. Seuss’s meanest and greenest creation when the Grinch himself visits three Phoenix Books locations in early December.

All ages are welcome to bring a camera and get a photo taken with the Grinch. The event also will launch Phoenix Books’ annual food drive, and attendees are invited to bring a nonperishable donation for the local food shelves.

Meet the Grinch on:

• Friday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. at Phoenix Books Misty Valley, 58 Common St. in Chester
• Saturday, Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. at Phoenix Books Rutland, 2 Center St. in Rutland
• Sunday, Dec. 4 at noon at Phoenix Books Essex, 21 Essex Way in Essex

These events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 802-872-7111 in Essex, 802-855-8078 in Rutland, 802-875-3400 in Chester, or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.

Dec. 2: Free Christmas music event with Dwelling

Dwelling performs at Grounded4Life

Dwelling performs at Grounded4Life

Listen to Christmas music performed by the band Dwelling at 7 p.m. on Friday Dec. 2 at Grounded4Life coffeehouse in Chester.

Dwelling is a contemporary Christian band from upstate Vermont comprised of three musician songwriters: Patrick and Alison McHugh, and Micah Dudash.

Grounded4Life is located in the lower level of the Chester Baptist Church across from the green at 162 Main St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with food, coffee, fellowship and conversation.

Check out the Grounded4Life Facebook page and share it with friends. Contact them at grounded4lifevt.org.

Dec. 3: 3rd Annual Cavendish Abundance Swap

Cavendish Connects third Annual Abundance Swap begins 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Cavendish Town Elementary School at 573 Main St. in Proctorsville. This event is open to the public and is free of charge.

Celebrate the bounty of the holiday season by giving and receiving. Pick three to five items in good shape and of quality from your home, shop or office that someone would enjoy as a gift. Children are encouraged to bring gently used toys. Do not bring items that are damaged, broken or do not work. Take items to the school to drop off at 9:30 a.m. From 10–11:30 p.m. select presents for someone on your holiday giving list.

For more information call 802-226-7807 or e-mail cavendishconnects@gmail.com.

Dec. 3: Holiday Stuff-A-Bus to benefit local food shelf

Black River Good Neighbor Services holds its annual Stuff-A-Bus food drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 in the Shaw’s Market parking lot 213 Main St. in Ludlow.

At the Stuff-a-Bus, food shelf volunteers hand out holiday dinner menus and ask shoppers to help with the foods most needed, including: canned fruit, cranberry sauce, pickles, olives, mac and cheese, hot chocolate, cookies, tea, cereal, candy, canned carrots, peas, green beans and corn, gravy, stuffing, soup and coffee. Donations of money is also appreciated since food will still need to be purchased.

Volunteers are needed to sort the food; and countless other tasks. Call Krey or Audrey at BRGNS’ Food Shelf, 802-228-3663 or visit 37B Main St. to ask how you can get involved.

Dec. 3: St. Luke’s Annual Christmas Tea and Sale

Do your shopping at St. Luke’s tea

Do your shopping at St. Luke’s tea

Holiday shop at St. Luke’s Christmas Tea from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 in Willard Hall at St. Luke’s at 313 Main St. in Chester.

Find handcrafted items, jams, jellies, relishes, custom chocolates and other baked holiday foods for gift giving along with a Grandma’s Attic table. The annual fundraising event includes a buffet table with a varied selection of tasty sandwiches, deviled eggs, finger foods, holiday cookies, dessert bars and much more. Enjoy tea or coffee or mulled cider. All you can eat for just $8.

For more information visit: www.stlukesepiscopalvt.org.

Dec. 3: Rock Library hosts party, raffle

The Friends of the Rockingham Library host a Community Holiday Party at the library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

The public is invited to this free family-friendly event. The Stringfield Springers of Saxtons River will perform live. Light refreshments will be served and the holiday raffle winning tickets will be drawn. A silent auction is ongoing until noon on Dec. 17.

Stop by the library to see the silent auction items on display. Items include: a basket of made in Vermont items; artwork by local artist Robert McBride; a collection of Llama Llama… books by Anne Dewdny; Rebecca Haas jewelry; Peruvian handcrafts and a reprint of bird’s eye-view map of Bellows Falls, circa 1880.

Raffle prizes include a pair of tickets to the Peter Yarrow concert on Dec. 8, and Intimate Grandeur, a book about the Vermont State House. Raffle tickets are being sold at the front desk for $1 each or 6 for $5. All proceeds from the silent auction and raffle will benefit the Friends of the Rockingham Free Public Library. For information on the Friends group and how to join, visit rockinghamlibrary.org/fol.html.

For other information, email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org, call 802-463-4270, visit the library or the website rockinghamlibrary.org.

Dec. 4: Arts Cooperative hosts Holiday Open House

Saxtons River Artisans Cooperative will hold an Open House on Sunday, Dec. 4 during the Saxtons River Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities. The Open House is being held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the shop at 26B Main St.

Local artists will be on hand to chat while demonstrating their craft and refreshments will be served.

The Cooperative is featuring the artwork of children from local schools in its display windows. During month of December, the Saxtons River Montessori School has provided creative and fall-themed mobiles.
For more information you may call 802-869-2099 or visit riverartisans.com.

Dec. 4: Rescheduled Vermont Voices author in Chester

Thomas Greene winds up the 2016 Vermont Authors series at bookshop

Greene winds up the 2016 Vermont Voices series at bookshop

Thomas Christopher Greene will be at Phoenix Books Misty Valley, 58 Common St. in Chester at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4 as the final author in the 2016 Vermont Voices series. The event is free.

Greene will talk about his fifth novel, If I Forget You, in which, 21 years after they were driven apart by circumstances beyond their control, two former lovers have a chance encounter on a Manhattan street. What follows is a tense, suspenseful exploration of the many facets of enduring love.

Greene is also the founding president of Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.

A discussion and book signing follows the event. For more information call Phoenix Books Misty Valley at 802-875-3400 or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.

Dec. 5: Annual Share Heat Fundraiser

The Democratic Committees of Andover and Chester hold their Annual Share Heat Fundraiser on Monday, Dec. 5 at Baba a Louis, 92 VT 11 in Chester at 6 p.m. Invite friends and bring a dish, dip, cake, cookie or veggie platter to share.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Chester Andover Family Center and the winter heating fund. If you cannot attend, you can make a donation to Chester Andover Family Center and send it to: Dakin and Benelli, PC, P.O. Box 499, Chester, VT 05143.

For more information, call Bill Dakin at 802-875-3456.

Dec. 7: Wreath-decorating at Rock Library

nypl-wreath-510d47e3-6a02-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99-001-wOn Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m., Alma Beals will offer a wreath-decorating program at Rockingham Library at 65 Westminster St. in Bellows Falls.

Because space is limited, registration is required. Each participant must bring with them a 24-inches wide wreath made from fresh green boughs, grapevines or artificial material. Look for these at area shops or where Christmas trees are purchased. Other decorations will be provided. Beals will guide participants in arranging and attaching decorations to the wreaths.

This program is free and open to the public. To register or more information, call 802-463-4270, go to www.rockinghamlibrary.org or stop by the library.

— Susan Lampe-Wilson

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