Hawleyville Holds 2nd Annual Lighting

About 200 people attended the second annual Hawleyville holiday tree lighting hosted by the Bethel-based Stony Hill Four Corners Business Association Sunday night.

The event was held at the Hawleyville shopping plaza on Barnabas Road for the second consecutive year, drawing more of a neighborhood crowd as well as residents of nearby Bethel and Danbury.

"There are more people who live in this vicinity here," said Melissa Leyva, 41, who attended the event with her two children.

This year, the Stony Hill association with help from the merchants at the shopping plaza took a more active role in organizing the event so that the tradition in Hawleyville could continue for a second year, according to Madeline Bunt, an organizer for the association and Newtown resident.

"It's really cool that we have three in town," Bunt said of the tree lighting ceremonies.

For Newtown, the event was the third consecutive and final public tree lighting ceremony in town this weekend. The first one was followed by a three-plus-hour on Saturday.

Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra and Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker spoke at the Hawleyville event.

Llodra advocated the purchase of a tree ornament depicting the image of the Hawleyville post office, which the Newtown Women's Club was selling this year at the post office and in the town clerk's office.

The ornament is important, Llodra said, because it reminds the town of its heritage, shows the importance of local activism in saving the post office – what Llodra called a social center and anchor for the Hawleyville village – and finally the proceeds from the ornament sales will go to help fund Newtown nonprofits.

"Every time you buy one of these ornaments you help out a neighbor or a friend," Llodra said. "So three reasons: remember our history, validate and celebrate your neighbors and friends who made this good thing happen and third support those in need."

Knickerbocker praised the business organization for holding the event.

"We share this business district on both sides of the border between Newtown and Bethel," he said. "It's wonderful to have such a great partnership ."

The festivities Sunday included live band entertainment, pizza provided by Papa Al's, sparkling cider from the liquor store, hot cocoa courtesy of te Big Buddha Cigar Lounge and lighting from the Hawleyville and Stony Hill fire departments. The night was capped off by a tree lighting and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus.