This year’s Holiday Stroll kicks off at about 5 p.m. Friday and rolls into Saturday, all day. (Note that The Glass House Design Store will be open with a 10% off sale from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, with Prosecco served during a special presentation at 4 p.m. by store manager and buyer Dominica P. Baharian.)
We put some questions to Laura Budd, executive director of the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the popular event.
Here’s our exchange.
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Holiday Stroll 2023. Credit: Terry Dinan
New Canaanite: The 2024 Holiday Stroll is set for this Friday and Saturday. Before we get into the details, please give our readers an overview. What is the Stroll and what makes it so popular?
Laura Budd: Believe it or not, This is the 20th New Canaan’s Holiday Stroll. The event which marks the kick off to the holiday shopping season here in town, is our answer to Small Business Saturday. The Stroll is an interactive family friendly event that puts a spotlight on our amazing downtown. The Stroll’s popularity stems from it having a New England hometown feel and that so many family businesses help contribute to the event.
Give us some logistics of this year’s Stroll—what times is it running on Friday and Saturday, what is the parking situation, will Elm Street’s one-way stretch be pedestrian-only?
The Annual Holiday Stroll kicks off this Friday! Starting around 5 p.m., Elm Street will close to vehicular traffic but open to strollers. On Saturday Elm street will return to normal but Santa will be at Houlihan Lawrence at 161 Elm St. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free parking is available starting at Noon on Friday and all-day Saturday in legal spaces, with additional parking in the Train and Commuter lots after 2 p.m. Friday.
How many shops are participating and what are some of the “extras” (for example, the holiday lights, garlands, gingerbread houses, live performances and activities, Santa)?
Well over 25 stores will be open and of course all the restaurants will be packed (grab a reservation if you haven’t already). Check out the amazing holiday window displays and while you are window shopping look for the Gingerbread Houses made by some of New Canaan’s youngest residents. As you walk down the street check out the garland and lights strung on all the lampposts you will notice that each one has a holiday tag on it naming a family or business who are sponsoring the lamp post as a way to help fund the stroll. The lights in the trees are funded by your friends and neighbors who collectively have raised close to $30,000 to light up downtown over the Holiday Season.
What are some features of this year’s Stroll, if any, that you’d like to highlight for our readers?
Starting at 5:00pm on Friday the 16-by-16-foot stage at the Elm/South intersection will host performances by local dancers and singers. The Show is a true labor of love. The nine groups who are participating have spent many weeks preparing their performances and really add so much to the festivities. As it gets dark, the lights on the trees and lampposts will turn on, creating a festive atmosphere for holiday shopping. Browse local shops offering special deals and lite bites. Enjoy a waffle from Vermont’s Waffle Cabin or grab a s’more from the New Canaan CARES booth. The New Canaan Town Band’s brass quartet will be playing throughout the event. Under the Moreno Clock the Chamber will be selling light up trinkets which not only add to the Stroll’s “vibe” but all proceeds from the sale of these items help fund the event. Don’t forget to visit the stores and restaurants on South, Main and Forest Streets, which will be hosting open houses for your holiday shopping. Santa and friends will be available for selfies as they walk through town.
What else if anything would you like to tell our readers about the 2024 Holiday Stroll?
We encourage you to take the time to check out all the stores have to offer. The holiday merchandise in each store has been carefully curated months in advance to give shoppers choices from the truly unique gift items for everyone on their list.
After you have spent time downtown during the Stroll and you still can’t decide what to give someone you can “give the gift of New Canaan” by purchasing a New Canan Electronic Gift Card for friends, family, teachers, coaches. These cards are good at over 45 local stores. For the 2024 holiday shopping season our friends at Caffeine and Carburetors will be “revving up” your purchasing power by adding 40% bonus to the amount you purchase: Buy a $25 Gift Card and get $10 added, Buy a $50 Gift Card and get $20 added Buy a $100 Card and get $40 added. This amazing offer starts on Friday, can be found at newcanaanchamber.com and is only good while supplies last.
We also want to thank our underwriting sponsors who make the event possible every year. Walter Stewart’s Market, Stewart’s Wine & Spirits, Houlihan Lawrence, Brown Harris Stevens and Camp Playland all make significant contributions to the Stroll each year that the Chamber is always grateful for.
The Holiday Stroll is always so much fun. Don’t forget that the Playhouse is offering a great lineup of favorite Christmas movies including Elf and Love Actually!