Winter 2021 Event Calendar
Where to Find the Festivities and How to Help Everyone Enjoy the Season
While some will remain a bit scaled back compared to pre-Covid times, most of the events that make New Castle a fun and festive holiday stop are back for 2021 to help get us all in the spirit of the season.
Saturday, 12/11 - The Spirit of Christmas & More!
The 11th will be the ‘big day’ in town for this year’s holiday season, with events throughout the city, throughout the day!
Get into the Spirit of Christmas and have a Dickens Experience with New Castle Presbyterian Church and New Castle Historical Society from 10am to 4pm. There will be performances by the church’s choir and Celebration Ringers in the Meeting House, free tours at Christmas-bedecked historic houses around town, period-dressed carolers singing songs from A Christmas Carol, plus baked goods, soups and locally made crafts for sale. (Here’s hoping that private house tours may return in 2022!)
New Castle Public Library will also host their first annual Winter Festival & Market from 10-4, with more holiday craft vendors, family-friendly activities including special Storytimes, and a Library Friends’ Book Sale.
In the evening, Read House & Gardens gets LIT for the Holidays, opening its doors for an exclusive and unique holiday party starting at 4:30pm and featuring numerous special new installations and illuminated holiday displays for visitors to enjoy along with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Limited space, tickets required.
Wednesday, 12/15
The choir of Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green performs Evensong: Advent Lessons and Carols. All are welcome to this one-hour service of beautiful music and meditations, from 4 to 5pm.
Thursday 12/16
Catch the silvery bells of NC Presbyterian’s Celebration Ringers once again in a performance at New Castle Public Library at 7:30pm.
Saturday 12/18
NCPD & Good Will Fire Co. Christmas Party for the Kids. Details TBA.
Friday, 1/28
Fourth Friday Art Loop beginning at 5:30.
What’s Missing?
If you know of other New Castle events happening through the Winter, please email us. We will keep this up-to-date and add more as details become available.
For Families in Need this Season
As we soak in the spirit with all these fun events in New Castle, let’s also remember that this winter will be harder for some families than others. With cold-driven prices set to rise especially high this year and many still recovering financially and personally from the last two, please keep in mind those who may struggle to find blessings to count and give thanks for.
The organizations and resources below can help ensure that every family has a happy Thanksgiving. Please share if you know someone facing...
Food Insecurity:
Housing Concerns:
Engery Costs:
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington
Other or Various Needs:
Friendship House, 302-658-4171
DeLaWarr State Service Center, 302-577-2970
Hudson State Service Center, 302-283-7500
Salvation Army, 302-472-0700
For those of us who are comfortable, we can also enhance the meaning of our own holidays and the strength of our community by giving the fine folks at these organizations some time or some dimes to help in what they do. Some of the links are useful for that too. And as with the events, if you know of others that should be here, feel free to reach out.
Thanks for reading. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.
Past Events
Monday, 11/15
New Castle Public Library offers patrons the chance to Pass It On: Digitize Your Old Memories on Mondays throughout November, starting at 10:30am. The friendly NCPL staff will help you digitally archive family photos, letters and other treasures. Additional dates 11/22 and 11/29.
Other great events at NCPL this week include:
Wednesday: ‘Marvelous Makers: Creating Flowers from Paper,’ 6pm.Thursday: K-8LEGO Club, 4:30pm.Friday:Storytimefor kids aged 0-5, 10:30am.
Monday, 11/22
Next Monday, the Library will host a pair of events for the whole family:
3pm:Force Majeure, a “wickedly funny family drama that tells the story of a modern Swedish family vacationing in the French Alps.”4:30pm:Family Craft Night.
Thursday, 11/25
Happy Thanksgiving from Washington Park to wherever you are, in New Castle or elsewhere. City offices are closed 11/25 and 11/26 (city-wide recycling pickup will be on Wednesday, 11/24). If your family or a family you care about is struggling this season, please see below for links to resources for folks in need of some help.
Friday, 11/26
The Fourth Friday Art Loop begins at 5pm, with wine and snacks available at Mo’zArt Gallery starting at 5:30 and other galleries and shops downtown welcoming visitors into the evening.
Saturday, 11/27
Small Business Saturday starts at 10am at the Arsenal, offering a chance to skip Black Friday and instead #ShopSmall and #ShopLocal the following day to ring in the holliday shopping season in a more community-oriented way. Organized by New Castle Community Partnership, the day will prominently feature our many great locally-owned and independent shops and restaurants, incentivizing shoppers to check out everything Old New Castle has to offer.
Wednesday and Thursday, 12/1-2
Join Arasapha’s annual Wreath Workshop between 12 to 7pm on Wednesday, or 8am to 4pm on Thursday, to help our friendly garden club deck the halls (well, the streets…) for December. On Thursday, a limited number of visitors can make their own wreaths to take home as well for $25 (first come, first served). Those wishing to donate evergreen clippings for the workshop may do so on 11/30 at 7am, at the Arsenal.
Saturday, 12/4
Enjoy Breakfast with Santa and get a photo to take home! From 8 to 11am at Good Will Fire Co., sponsored by Good Will and the New Castle Lions Club.