Holly Berry Festival Returns Nov. 22 -23

HAMDEN – The annual Holly Berry Festival juried craft fair returns to Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden November 22-23. Now in its 46th year, the Holly Berry Festival is a Christmas tradition hosted by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Congregation of religious Sisters based in Hamden.

More than 45 artisans from Connecticut and Massachusetts will be on-site selling handcrafted goods and specialty food just in time for Christmas. Visitors can shop for holiday and home décor, jewelry, apparel, accessories, and more across 50+ booths. Handcrafted wares, food and baked goods made by the Apostle Sisters, including Italian-style pickled eggplant, will also be available for purchase.

In addition to great holiday shopping, the Holly Berry features a variety of raffle drawings, including a Visa gift card raffle featuring three prizes: $1,500 in Visa gift cards, $500 in Visa gift cards and a $250 Visa gift card. There are also gift basket raffles, restaurant gift card raffles, and a Christmas tree raffle featuring decorated 4-foot artificial trees.

Be sure to bring the whole family to enjoy pictures with Santa, face painting and a children’s craft area. A food court featuring hot and cold foods is open on both days, and there is also a bake sale featuring delicious treats made by the Sisters.

Admission and parking are free. Festival hours are 3:00-8:00 pm on Friday, November 22, and 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, November 23. For those who cannot come in person, many of the handcrafted items made by the Sisters will be available for purchase online November 14-17 at hollyberry.org. Event proceeds benefit the care of the retired and aging Apostle Sisters.