By Danny Konstantinovic
Reporter
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIkvmpS2pc8
New Canaan will begin its celebration of the holiday season this Friday and Saturday with the town’s ninth annual Holiday Stroll. Since its inaugural year in 2004, the Holiday Stroll has become a favorite amongst town residents for the entertainment and environment it provides. Elm street, the main shopping district of town, will be closed off to traffic so that pedestrians can walk freely along the street to shop, get free beverages, and see the various performances that will take place during the evening.
Those who attend the stroll will see various iconic holiday season characters such as Santa Claus wandering through the town and will also be able to watch student performers from the New Canaan Dance Academy and New Canaan Studio at various times throughout the night.
The stroll is a popular event for students at New Canaan High School, offering a distinct and interesting social environment than what they are accustomed to. “It’s a nice chance for the whole community to come together and get into the spirit of the holidays,” Junior Sarah Lovejoy said.
The stroll’s popularity extends beyond students at New Canaan High School. Students from various schools in New Canaan attend the stroll, which offers them a unique opportunity to interact with students from other school environments.
“The stroll is just a cool opportunity to see kids from school that I don’t normally see,” Senior Kala Berg said.
Although it is more heavily attended by students at night, the stroll is not exclusively a night time event. Elm Street will be closed starting at 10am tomorrow when residents will first be able to stroll the street or eat and shop at various restaurants or stores around town. Between 5:00pm and 8:30pm, a variety of performances will take place across the shopping district including an ensemble of saxophone players from Saxe Middle School as well as a performance from members of both the New Canaan Dance Academy and New Canaan Studio, both of which include New Canaan High School Students.
The New Canaan Chamber of Commerce has planned for the event to last two days, ending on Saturday at 3pm. The Saturday stroll will be much more lax in comparison to Friday’s showing, lasting a total of five hours and lacking the various performances that can be seen on Friday night.
The stroll’s various options of entertainment as well as its social environment continues to attract students from New Canaan High School year after year, and this year’s showing is expected to be no different. Junior Cameron Pilder also spoke about why she enjoys the social aspect of the stroll. “It’s nice to see people from school around town at Christmas time.”
