Santa and his live reindeer—Dasher, Dancer and Prancer—are coming back to Greenwich for the 10th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Village and return to “the North Pole on North Street” until December 24. Visitors can have their photo taken with Santa, meet the reindeer and also enjoy the new Santa’s Village just minutes from downtown Greenwich. The festival, village and holiday stroll are produced by TMK Sports & Entertainment, LLC. Parking is free.

Throughout the month, the reindeer will make Sam Bridge their home, thanks to Pepsi, the reindeer stable sponsor. Children, adults, corporate groups and even pets (on leashes) can have their photo taken with Santa at Santa’s Workshop, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich. Photo packages begin at $29.99 and include a gift bag filled with promotions redeemable at participating downtown Greenwich stores. Hours for photos with Santa are Monday through Friday from noon to 6 pm, and Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Sam Bridge is closed on Sundays. The reindeer will depart on December 22, but Santa will remain for photos on Christmas Eve from 9am to 3pm. 

Also celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Greenwich Holiday Stroll Weekend, presented by Whole Foods Market, will take place on December 1 (10am-6pm) and 2 (noon-5pm). The “shop, dine and be merry” event has expanded this year to include Greenwich, Byram, Cos Cob and Riverside. There will be live music entertainment tents sponsored by Greenwich Hospital, among others. The Holiday Stroll will feature a live nativity scene, horse-drawn carriage rides, professional ice sculpture demos, a food truck village on Greenwich Avenue and letter-writing to Santa. There will be more than 140 participating retailers and restaurants offering promotions, refreshments and holiday cheer. 

New this year, in the season of giving, over 40 stores and restaurants will showcase a Greenwich-based nonprofit organization to bring awareness to a special cause. Twenty percent of this year’s evening sales will benefit Kids in Crisis.

For more information, visit GreenwichReindeerFestival.com, Facebook.com/GreenwichReindeerFestival, Instagram.com/GreenwichReindeerFestival and
Twitter.com/ReindeerGwich. Festival location: Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, 437 North St, Greenwich. Holiday stroll location: Downtown Greenwich. See ad, page 16.