For the second time, Old Saybrook will host its Starlight Festival. This year, the festivities are Saturday, Dec. 3 from 2 to 6 p.m.

The Starlight Festival is a relatively new event in town – the first one was held in 2021. Organizers hope the day will continue to be an event that brings the whole community together. The event will largely take place on the Town Green. Events include Mrs. Claus reading stories, face painting, luminary bag decorating, cookie sales, holiday cards for service members, wreaths, a life-size Candyland game, free hot chocolate on the patio of the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, and costumed characters strolling about.

Of course, no holiday fair would be complete without Santa who will arrive by fire truck at 2:30 p.m. He will be stationed in front of the gazebo on the Town Green until 4:30 p.m., and volunteers will be on hand to take pictures of families with Santa.

This year’s festival will also serve as a remembrance for one Old Saybrook resident that always kept the holiday spirit burning. Joan Van Epps was a longtime Old Saybrook resident who owned Ragged Rock Marina, but more residents might recognize her home at 122 College Street as the white house that comes alive every holiday season with beautiful decorations.

Sadly, Van Epps passed away at age 90 last December and her house has since been sold. However, this summer Van Epps’s granddaughter and her family donated lights and decorations to the town to be used in the Starlight Festival so the beloved decorations can start a new chapter of bringing joy to the community.

To honor Van Epps and the donation, the evergreen tree in front of Town Hall will be lit and dedicated to her a press release on the event states.

For more information about the day’s schedule, parking and trolley stops, participating businesses, and restaurant specials, visit OS-Starlight.org or email os-starlight@oldsaybrookct.gov.