Santa and his Reindeer are coming to McArdle's!!

Just released...


LIVE REINDEER COME TO GREENWICH DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT
First Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop
November 27 – December 24, 2009

Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend December 4, 5 and 6

Greenwich, Conn, Nov. 10, 2009 – Santa and his reindeer are coming to town. Come see Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Donner and Blitzen, LIVE, with Santa at McArdle’s Florist & Garden Center, 48 Arch Street, in Greenwich at the First Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival and Santa’s Workshop to benefit Kids in Crisis, starting Friday afternoon, November 27 through Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009. The event promises to be a magical moment that children and families will cherish forever as they have their holiday photo taken with some of the only reindeer in Connecticut.

On November 27, the reindeer will arrive from the North Pole and process down Greenwich Avenue accompanied by the town’s public officials to their month-long home at McArdle’s. Children, pets, adults and families can have their photo taken with Santa and his team of reindeer, with proceeds benefiting Kids in Crisis. Photo packages begin at $29.99 and include special coupons to shop at participating downtown Greenwich stores. Hours for the Greenwich Reindeer Festival and Santa’s Workshop are as follows: Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5:30 pm and Sunday, 9 am to 4 pm. Reindeer feeding times will take place daily at 9 am and 4 pm. McArdle’s will offer complimentary mulled cider each day.

Sponsors include the following: Reindeer Sponsors: Flexjet by Bombardier, People's United Bank, Pepsi and Shaklee, Debbie Marin, Independent Distributor. Event Sponsors: McArdle's Florist & Garden Center and M.H. Heaven Real Estate. Media Sponsors: The Advocate, Greenwich Time, Brooks Community Newspapers and Moffly Media. Creative design by Creative Insight.

The event coincides with the First Annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend, December 4, 5 and 6. Holiday carolers, bell ringers and other musicians from local churches and singing groups will stroll through town while residents and visitors enjoy world-class shopping and delicious dining. Greenwich area merchants from East Putnam Avenue to Lewis Street to East and West Elm Street and along Greenwich Avenue will be joining the fun festivities, offering seasonal refreshments to welcome holiday shoppers. Hours are Friday, 4 pm to 7 pm, Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday, 11 am to 4 pm.

“It’s the perfect combination of local pride and holiday spirit and the beginning of a great new tradition in Greenwich,” said Alon Marom, Director of Corporate and Community Giving for Kids in Crisis, the event beneficiary. “We hope everyone will come out and enjoy all that Greenwich has to offer while at the same time, supporting our mission at this special time of year.”

Kids in Crisis, www.kidsincrisis.org, is Connecticut’s only free, round-the-clock agency providing emergency shelter, crisis counseling and community educational programs for children of all ages and families dealing with a wide range of crises—domestic violence, mental health and family problems, substance abuse, economic difficulties and more. Since its founding in 1978, Kids in Crisis has helped more than 96,000 Connecticut children and families; last year, more than 7,300 adults and children received assistance from the organization.
For more information about the Greenwich Reindeer Festival and Santa's Workshop and the Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend, please visit www.mcardles.com. These events are created and produced by TMK Sports & Entertainment, a Greenwich-based event marketing company.

Looking for ideas....

...for upcoming workshops for the holiday season. Anything you'd like to learn?

October, so far...

What a fun month this has been so far! We've had two very fun, very well attended hands-on workshops so far and one more to go. The first two were flower arranging, both with a fall theme. And next week's is very appropriate for the time - pumpkin carving! And we're not talking your everyday jack o'lantern either.... It's not too late to sign up for some Halloween fun!

Upcoming Workshops

Here's what's coming up at McArdle's :

Tuesday Oct. 13 - Create a harvest topiary

Tuesday Oct 20 - Design a "minikin" - a sugar pumpkin sitting om a beautiful ring of autumnal flowers

Tuesday Oct 27 - "Treat" yourself and learn a "trick" to enhance your pumpkin carving. Tools included.

Cost: $20 per workshop (covers materials -- bring your own scissors and wire cutters)

RSVP to yourfriends@mcardles.com

Hope to see you there!

H

Happy October!

Today is the first day of my personal favorite month. And what a typical October day it is! The air finally has that crispness indicative of Autumn. Makes me want to go pick a pumpkin! And maybe some gourds while I'm at it...

For anyone interested, we're planning a pumpkin carving workshop at the store. Details to follow...

I think I'll go have some hot cider now.

H

Happy Fall!

It's official, today is the first day of Autumn! Here's to crisp weather and colorful mums.

Autumn?!

I just can't believe that September is half over already! I just looked at the calendar - did you know that Autumn begins next Tuesday? Where did the summer go? One day I'm looking outside our greenhouse window at an array of summery annuals and all of a sudden they've been replaced by mums and pansies. Oh, and did I mention that we also just got in pumpkins, gourds and indian corn? It just amazes me how quickly time can pass and sometimes it seems that we take each season for granted - as if it will be around forever...