In Southbury, Much of the Holiday Season Is Settled by December 7
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
At the United Church of Christ on Main Street North, the 60th Holiday Fair fills the building's rooms with handcrafted gifts. It also has a Basket Bonanza, a sit-down luncheon and a bake sale that includes homemade nut brittle. Out on the meetinghouse green, vendors set up for holiday shopping, and Boy Scout Troop 60 sells fresh wreaths. The fair runs Saturday, November 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 283 Main Street North, and admission is free.
The fair is the most visible start to Southbury's holiday season, but the calendar behind it is front-loaded. Most of what calls for a sign-up, a purchase or a drop-off falls in a short stretch between early November and the first weekend of December:
After that, the remaining dates are performances and outings you can book ahead.
The fair's online auction runs November 6 through 14, so bidding opens Friday, the day after this post goes up, and closes on fair day. The bidding is hosted on the church's 32auctions page.
The same Friday at 1 p.m., the Southbury Garden Club hosts "Seasonal Holiday Arrangements" at the Southbury Public Library, 100 Poverty Road. The presenter is Kim Bova, owner of Southbury Country Florist, and her arrangements are raffled off. Admission is free. The Garden Club comes back to the library on fair day itself with a hands-on Fall Holiday Floral Design Class from noon to 2 p.m. The class is open to the public, and registration is required.
So November 14 has two events a few miles apart, and their times overlap. The fair runs all day, and Santa is at the photo booth from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Troop 60's wreaths sell from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at $25 each. The wreath sale and the floral class both end at 2, so if you want both on the same Saturday, pick up your wreath on Main Street North in the morning, before the class starts at noon.
The Southbury Women's Club runs two races on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26. The Kids Fun Run starts at 8 a.m. in the back parking lot by the Maxx365 entrance at 730 Main Street South and costs $10 plus processing fees. The Turkey Trot 5K starts half an hour later, at 8:30 a.m., by the gazebo at 775 Main Street South. Entry is $30 plus processing fees. Registration for both closes Tuesday, November 24, through the race's RunSignup page.
The half-hour gap between the two starts means a family can run both races. A child finishes the fun run, and a parent is still on time for the 5K start a short walk down Main Street South.
730 Main Street South is also home to Farmers Tavern, which Patch reported began serving customers on August 4, 2026. The restaurant's current fall and winter hours are:
Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, which is a regular dinner night on that schedule. If you're thinking of a holiday dinner there, call the restaurant first to confirm its hours and menu for the day.
The week leading into Thanksgiving fills in around those plans:
Thanksgiving weekend is also when tree season starts in earnest. Cedar Spring Farm, at 440 Hulls Hill Road, has published six sale days for 2026:
| Date | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, November 22 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Early bird sale, no appointment needed |
| Friday, November 27 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Thanksgiving weekend |
| Saturday, November 28 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Thanksgiving weekend |
| Sunday, November 29 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Thanksgiving weekend |
| Saturday, December 5 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | While supplies last |
| Sunday, December 6 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | While supplies last |
The farm says it will offer a mix of appointments and open hours this season. Confirm your appointment time directly with the farm through its holiday tree sales page.
All trees are cut-your-own. A farmer greets you, hands you a bow saw, and once your tree is down you bring it to the baler, where it is measured and wrapped. You load and secure the tree on your vehicle yourself, then pay at the farm store with the price card you are given. Varieties include concolor fir, Norway spruce and blue spruce.
Trees 9 feet and under are $80, and taller trees are $100, both plus Connecticut sales tax. Cutting a baby tree still costs the full price, because the farm's trees take six to ten years to reach full height. If you can't take a tree home right away, you can choose it, cut it, pay for it and have it wrapped and tagged for pickup, as long as you collect it by the end of that day.
The December 5 and 6 sales run only while supplies last. That makes Thanksgiving weekend the safer bet if you want a particular variety or height.
Once the last tree days pass, two more deadlines fall on Monday, December 7.
The first is the gift drive. Southbury Helping Hands runs its annual Holiday Gift Program through December 7. You can donate, sponsor a child, or shop from the program's wish list. Drop-offs are accepted at the Southbury Police Station, 421 Main Street South, through the first week of December.
The second is the Parks and Recreation December Vacation Camp, which closes registration the same day even though camp doesn't start for three more weeks. The camp runs December 28 through 31, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 561 Main Street South, for grades K through 8. Pricing:
Families sorting out the week between Christmas and New Year's have to commit before most holiday shopping is finished.
The week before, on Friday, December 4, Main Street Ballet brings Storybook Nutcracker, an interactive event for all ages, to the library from 6 to 7 p.m. Registration is required. For younger children, it's an easy introduction ahead of the full production later in the month.
The second half of December has fewer events, and each takes up most of a day or an evening.
Main Street Ballet's Nutcracker takes the stage at Pomperaug High School, 234 Judd Road, on Saturday, December 19, at 4 p.m. Tickets are sold through Main Street Ballet, so check its current prices before you buy. The town's event listing has the details.
On Wednesday, December 30, Southbury Parks and Recreation runs a bus trip to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The bus leaves Parks and Recreation at 561 Main Street South at 9 a.m., the show starts at 4 p.m., and the estimated return is around 9 p.m. The price covers the bus and show admission but not meals or other expenses. It is $145 for residents and $188 for nonresidents, and sign-up is through the Parks and Recreation registration page. The trip lands during camp week, so a household could have children at 561 Main Street South for camp and an adult boarding the bus from the same address that morning.
The Southbury Public Library's monthly calendar carries the full list of library programs through the season.
Most of Southbury's season gets decided in those first five weeks, and if you'd like to talk through your own plans for the months after the holidays, from selling a longtime home to a move into an active-adult community, I'm glad to sit down over coffee when the calendar calms down. Let's Connect with Joe Paul.
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