Business Notebook: ‘Home for the holidays' starts Sunday

Warwick - Plans for the annual celebration are finalized and the Warwick Valley Merchants’ Guild invites everyone to come “Home for the Holidays,” this Sunday, Nov. 20. The day has traditionally marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season and visitors can get into the Christmas spirit as they stroll along Railroad Avenue, Main Street and the surrounding area, visiting stores decorated with seasonal displays and serving refreshments including local wines, hot cider, cookies and hors d’oeuvres. Joanne Graney, for example, owner of Greetings and Salutations, 9 Main St., will be serving wine and tea and she has invited Sandy Kurtz of Granny’s Garden to be on hand for the day. Kurtz will display her unique creations including boxwood wreaths and a variety of centerpieces. She will also offer expert advice on how to use greenery to decorate your home for the holidays. At The Bookstore, 20 Main St., Warwick resident, and professor of history at New York University, Richard Hull will be appearing to sign copies of his expanded and updated book, People of the Valleys Revisited: A History of Warwick 1700-2005. Weather permitting, the General’s Garden Techni-Growers will be outside the shop selling holiday wreaths, greens and plants. Renee’s Kitchen staff will also be at The Bookstore offering a tasting of their homemade pasta sauces, apple sauce and whole canned peaches. The traditional “Angel Tree” to benefit the needy will be on Main Street between Akin’s Drug Store and Newhard’s. Volunteers from Girl Scout Troop No. 479 will help keep angels on the tree until all have been selected. Later they will organize and deliver the gifts to the Ecumenical Food Pantry. Everyone is encouraged to sponsor an angel. Members of the Warwick Chorale also will be strolling about this Sunday, stopping in shops and entertaining shoppers with traditional Christmas music. And this weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday, visitors can enjoy the Harvest to Holly Tour sponsored by the Town of Warwick Historical Society. New owner at Sweetbriars This October, Stephanie Faerman took over the reins at Sweetbriars, one of Warwick’s most popular shops. For almost six years, Sweetbriar’s courtyard sweet shop at 26 Railroad Ave. has offered a prize selection of international sweets including a variety of chocolate imports and other quality candies. Faerman and her husband, Jorge, have lived in this area for more than 25 years; they have three children ages 16 to 30. Although this is her first retail venture, she brings years of experience as a purchasing agent to the business. “I intend to continue the special customer service and to carry the quality items that have always been associated with this shop,” said Faerman. “And I also plan to add new products to make Sweetbriars even bigger and better.” Recently, Faerman introduced a line of Joseph Schmidt Belgian chocolate truffles, which are available in customized or holiday hand crafted boxes. She also brought in a new line of chocolate molded figures for the holiday season including Thanksgiving Day turkeys, snowmen, traditional “Nut Crackers” and, of course, Santas. One unique item is a box of hand decorated chocolate fortune cookies especially designed and decorated for the celebration of Chanukah. “Come in and say ‘Hello,” Faerman said, “and if you mention ‘Joseph Schmidt,’ our new line of Belgian chocolates, I’ll give you a free sample.” Sweetbriars is open every day except Monday. Call 986-5700 for additional information.