Woodstock NY Holiday Events 2017

Woodstock's Real Estate Photographer Kicks off The Holiday Season in Woodstock NY

One of my favorite events in the yearly Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty calendar is the annual Halloween Parade that winds its way up and down the main thoroughfare in Woodstock. Here’s a selection of my favorite pictures from this year:

I always show up expecting to see mostly patient parents leading adorable kids on their yearly chocolate-fueled treasure hunt; but every year, no matter how many times I’m called on to take photographs of the parade, what I find is much more than that. 

It seems like the whole town empties out into the street, young and old dressed in every imaginable get-up. They greet each other with a camaraderie and community spirit that has a mythical quality. It’s a spirit you rarely encounter in this day and age. Of course there’s the obligatory costume contest on the Village, but the most important part of the whole thing is that everybody gets out with their joyful, artistic neighbors and has a good time.

Family of Woodstock Thanksgiving 2017

Now that Halloween has jogged my memory, I remember what’s on its way. This sense of community carries through the entire holiday season. Thanksgiving brings the 42^nd Annual Thanksgiving feast hosted by local charity, Family of Woodstock. From 1:00pm to 4:00pm on Thanksgiving day, anyone who wants or needs a hot meal can visit the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center and enjoy one. The entire dinner is volunteer organized and staffed and all food and drink is donated by local businesses and restaurants.

Woodstock Holiday Open House 2017

Then the evening of Friday, December 2^nd brings the 36^th Annual Woodstock Open House. Shops and restaurants all over town decorate their businesses with colorful window displays and offer special deals and sales all night long. Outside, the Village Green hosts Victorian carolers, bonfires and sing-alongs - I’ve even seen a fire eating belly dancer there before! This year I’m told there will be S’mores (yes)! Village residents and visitors gather to enjoy each other’s company and get some shopping done. Dianne Jabbour, our Operations Manager and de facto company decorator is planning our window display now. It’ll be so bright you’ll have to wear shades.

 Christmas Eve Woodstock NY 2017

There is one event that tops all of these combined. It’s Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve. I’ve been witness to it many times and honestly, it’s DELIGHTFUL. Every year around 5:00pm the entire town and hundreds of visitors from neighboring towns gather at the Village Green to wait for Santa to make an entrance. He could arrive in just about anything - he’s not restricted to reindeer. Not in Woodstock. Locals meet and greet each other warmly, there are musicians keeping the crowd excited and more children then seem possible line the streets, all waiting to see what creative way Santa will find to make an entrance this year. Everyone has a story about the year that impressed them the most. A lot of people think it was when he popped out of the top hat of the two-story tall snowman erected in the middle of town. Some others loved it when he descended from a crane riding a giant dove of peace. My favorite was when he launched himself out over the crowd from a giant Yuletide cannon, and then landed ready to hand stockings out to children. Impressive. All of this magic, all of these years of treasured community memories created and organized by volunteers of the town. This year, my money's on a clipper ship... (they need a challenge).

I’ll be wandering around, camera in hand, for all of these this year. Why?

Woodstock’s Awesome. Happy Holidays!

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