Winter fun with a Victorian flair

HAWLEY, PA — The streets of Hawley will become a winter wonderland this weekend for Hawley’s Winterfest 2006. Slated for Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10, the special weekend will be filled with arts, music and fun, all with a Victorian flair.

Popular returning events will include the historic house tours, the Virgin Consort concert and a Victorian Tea and Cookie Sale sponsored by the Hawley Presbyterian Church.

This year’s opening ceremony will be held at the Hawley train station on Friday, December 8 at 4:00 p.m., followed by an opening celebration held at The Looking Glass Gallery on Main Avenue from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. The Virgin Consort then returns to Hawley at 7:00 p.m. with a 75-minute music program celebrating the wonder of the season.

Saturday’s big events include the Ritz Theater’s annual holiday show at 2:30 p.m., “Music for All—A Christmas Medley,” from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Black Bear Conservatory on Main Avenue, and photos with Santa from 12:00 noon until 5:00 p.m. There will also be an array of activities at the Hawley Library and an art show and sale at the Artisan Gallery on Main Avenue.

Visitors coming to Winterfest from Honesdale can enjoy a special treat on Saturday: a one-day only, round-trip Stourbridge Line Winterfest excursion departing Honesdale at 11:00 a.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for children 12 and under, and free for children 2 and under if they are lap held. Visit www.waynecountycc.com or call 570/253-1960 for more information.

Also on Saturday, Torte Knox, located on the corner of Keystone and Main Avenue, will once again serve their turn of the century luncheon. During this event, owner Sheelah Kaye Stepkin and her staff meticulously prepare lunch as it was served at the White House at the beginning of the 20th century.

On Sunday, Hawley landmark The Settler’s Inn presents a Winterfest brunch with Harpist Diane O’Malley, and the Ritz Theater closes out the day with their annual holiday show at 2:30 p.m.

For a complete listing of the Winterfest activities visit www.hawleywinterfest.com.