BRING THE KIDDIES...

The center of town will be filled with holiday revelry when the Hamden Arts Commission presents the annual Silverbells Festival and a new veterans organization will hold a holiday concert and winter coat drive on Saturday Dec. 3.

Silverbells takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. in Town Center Park and the Miller Cultural Center at 2901 Dixwell Ave.

Face painting will take place at Miller from 2 to 4 p.m. and at 3 p.m., the Crabgrass Puppet Theatre will present "Mr. Punch’s Christmas Carol," an adaptation of the Dickens’ classic holiday story.

In the park at 2761 Dixwell, there will be carousel rides, hayrides and other activities from 2 to 6 p.m. Caroling with the Hamden girl scouts starts at 2. Community caroling and the tree lighting ceremony starts at 4:15. Taylor and Jordan Jacques are expected to light the tree. Santa is arriving on a fire truck at 4:30.

Later, Vets Link is having a holiday concert from 7 to 10 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Auditorium at the Hamden Middle School, 2623 Dixwell Ave.

Admission is $25 or a coat or jacket donation. The coat drive wil help needy and homeless veterans.

An instrumental rock trio of Charlie Martinez, Kerry Agnew and Paul Gilmore will play, as well as The American Relics and Garrett "Diamond" Walker in a Neil Diamond Tribute. Cassandra Martinez is the hostess.

And if you're in the mood for other music, go to Hamden Plains United Methodist Church, corner of Dixwell Avenue and Church Street, for a holiday concert at 7. A silent auction takes place at 4:30. It's all to celebrate the church's 197th anniversary. The Rev. Soon Ahn is now at the helm.

CHRISTMAS IN NORTH HAVEN

NORTH HAVEN'S ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AND HOLIDAY EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 2 TO 5 P.M. SUNDAY DEC. 5 AT THE RECREATION CENTER ON LINSLEY STREET AND ON THE TOWN GREEN ON CHURCH STREET. YOU CAN SEE SANTA'S WORKSHOP INSIDE, AND PARTICIPATE IN COOKIE DECORATING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
THE RAIN DATE IS FROM 3 TO 6 P.M. MONDAY DEC. 6.
MEANWHILE, THE NORTH HAVEN EDUCATION FOUNDATION IS CONTINUING ITS LIGHT THE WAY TO EDUCATION FUNDRAISER. LUMINARIA WILL BE ON DISPLAY ON THE GREEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TREE LIGHTING. LUMINARIA ARE $5 AND CAN BE DEDICATED TO ANYONE, EVEN A FAVORITE TEACHER!