Fashion, Fur, Fun at Williamstown Holiday Walk This Weekend
Santa arrives at last year's Reindog Parade.
The three-day celebration gets underway on Friday with one of the townwide festival's new events, a fashion show hosted by Water Street businesses Provisions Williamstown, The Coffee Shop Williamstown and Roam Gallery.
From 6 to 8 p.m., designer Gareth Brown of Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard will bring her Rooey Knots designs to the Berkshires.
"Rooey Knots is … often inspired by vintage designs and made with remnant fabrics left over from larger production runs, creating unique batches of items that will be featured in the show and available to shop through the weekend," Brown said.
"The designs that I'm bringing to Williamstown will be more winter and holiday focused, which is fun because we usually have our fashion show [annual Art and Fashion Show] at the height of of summer, so we don't often get to showcase these winter designs on models."
Those models will come from in or near Williamstown. Diane and Peter McGillivray of Williamstown Provisions were customers at Kin, the Edgartown arts and clothing store operated by Brown and her aunt Lisa, and encouraged the pair to bring a taste of their store to the Berkshires.
"Diane and Peter helped me to find models," Brown said. "I asked for approximate sizing and heights of the models and will prepare the looks based on that information. I am bringing a variety of looks and sizes that we will get to try on the models before the show. I am flexible on which model wears which look and am happy to add or take away based on what is working."
Both Gareth Brown and Lisa Brown will share their passion with Holiday Walk participants throughout the weekend.
"Lisa of L.A. Brown Photography is known for her poetically beautiful photographs," Gareth said. "She will curate a unique collection available to shop over the weekend featuring her images of animals, landscapes, water scenes and more. Her photographs are timeless and treasured by many of her collectors over the years."
Items from both will be available throughout the weekend at Provisions, which on Sunday joins other Spring Street and Water Street businesses in encouraging people to participate in "Shop Small Sunday" from 1 to 3 p.m.
Friday evening's runway-style event is free for standing room attendees, though there are VIP tickets available with the proceeds going to local non-profits.
It is one of many events with a charitable dimension throughout the 42nd annual Holiday Walk.
As always, one of the headliners of the weekend is the Penny Social and Non-Profit Fair in Williams College's Lasell Gymnasium from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The penny auction features dozens of prizes, and attendees will be entertained by the Flatbed Jazz Band starting at 2:30 in a celebration that benefits the Williamstown Community Chest.
Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity will be the beneficiary of a holiday showcase and gingerbread house competition across Main Street at the First Congregational Church, which also will host a Yuletide Treasures Pop-Up Shop and a Williamstown Elementary School Clothing Sale – all from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Council on Aging's Harper Center will hold an art show where a portion of the proceeds will be used for art supplies. And, across the street, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, sixth-graders at Williamstown Elementary hold their annual Pancake Breakfast, Lunch and Bake sale to raise money to defray the cost of spring's class trip to Cape Cod.
From noon to 2 on Sunday, the Holiday Walk spirit spills over to North Adams' Roxie's Bakery, which will host a Pet Photo Shoot to benefit No Paws Left Behind. Roxie's also will hold a pop-up shop on Spring Street in Williamstown from 1 to 4 on Saturday.
On Saturday from 3 to 5, local Girl Scouts will hold a donation drive for the Williamstown Food Pantry outside Amy's Cottage on Spring Street. People who donate $25 or more will receive a coupon for 20 percent off one item at the store.
As a reminder, Holiday Walk again this year is not limited to the first weekend in December. It continues throughout the month with downtown businesses collecting items for local residents in need: non-perishable food from Dec. 5-12 and hygiene items (shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.) from Dec. 12-19.
The centerpiece of all the holiday celebrations is, of course, the annual Reindog Parade, which steps off at the top of Spring Street at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The primped pups will be judged during the line-up on Williams Science Quad from 1:30 to 2; prizes will be awarded at Provisions after the parade.
Don't have a dog to make a costume for? No problem. There are plenty of other ways to get crafty on Saturday.
The Pine Cobble School will hold a Crafting for Kids event at The Log from noon to 2, and Buxton School will host a cookie decorating event at the same time across Spring Street at the Williams College Bookstore.
The Williams College Museum of Art and the Berkshire Satellite Reef project invite crocheters and would-be crocheters alike to join in the community-based Coral Reef Project on Saturday from 3 to 5 at The Coffee Shop.
If you prefer carols to corals, Holiday Walk has plenty of music on tap, starting with Friday's concert by Jenny Herzog at the Clark Art Institute (tickets $20, $16 for members, $14 for students, $10 for children 17 and under) and continuing with a capella concerts outside Tasha Yoga from 1 to 4 on Saturday, Lessons and Carols in Williams Thompson Memorial Chapel at 4 and 7 on Saturday and "Las Posadas: Welcoming the Stranger" at St. John's Eipiscophal Church at 5:15 on Saturday.
And if you like holiday lights — or just counting down from three — there are a trio of tree-lighting ceremonies on the agenda: Friday at 4 p.m. at Sweetwood, Saturday at 5 p.m. at the south end of Spring Street and Sunday at 5 at the Store at Five Corners.
Anyone looking for less conventional ways to bring in the season will want to check out a Community Cold Plunge on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Sand Springs Pool or the inaugural Krampus Mummer's Ball at 283 Cole Ave., which promises adult fun and beverages from the Berkshire Cider Project.
Full Holiday Walk schedule available here.
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