HATFIELD — Hatfield’s annual Luminarium is scheduled to kick off Sunday, for the 36th-straight year.
Residents in the 3,000-person town will set out milk jugs and paper bags with candles inside along the town’s main drag, providing flickering glows on an otherwise dark winter night.
Cars drive bumper-to-bumper down town streets, headlights off for best effect. Town Administrator Marlene Michonski said the best route to take is heading east on Elm Street from Route 5, continuing onto Maple Street and then onto Main Street.
“The residents really come out for it,” Michonski said. “But you’d be surprised by the number of people from other communities that come in, drive through and take in the festivities.”
This year, the festivities kick off at 4:30 p.m. Sunday with refreshments and holiday story time at the Hatfield Library, 39 Main St., according to a news release.
The town-wide candlelighting is scheduled to be completed at 5:45 p.m., according to the release. A 6 p.m. holiday program at the Town Hall, 59 Main St., will feature The Smith Academy Brass Ensemble and will end with a visit from Santa.
At 6:30 p.m. the Hatfield Fire Department will offer coffee and hot chocolate behind Town Hall at the fire station. And at 7 p.m. the 21st annual Bell and Choral Concert will take place at the First Congregational Church, 51 Main St.
Contact Jack Suntrup at jsuntrup@gazettenet.com.