With the 2023 holiday season in full swing, the Department of Administrative Services is playing a major role in bringing a beloved Connecticut tradition to fruition.
Each year, as their recent predecessors did, Governor Ned Lamont and First Lady Annie Lamont invite Connecticut residents to attend the holiday open house at the Governor’s Residence. You may not know that DAS staff helps support a group of three dozen volunteers and several generous vendors, who donated their time and talents to the monumental task of decorating the Residence for the holiday season.
All of the decorations at the Governor’s Residence, including Christmas trees, wreaths, and seasonal greenery, are donated at no cost to the state.
It started before Thanksgiving, when DAS staff members Jeff Waller and Kyle Sullivan (utilizing a vehicle maintained by DAS Fleet Operations!) took a trip to Jones Family Farms in Shelton – who have donated trees to furnish the Residence for years – to select several evergreens. The Friday after Thanksgiving, the trees, which range from four to 12 feet in height, were set up for crews of volunteers to arrive that weekend.
Watch how we set everything up at the Governor's Residence!
In the ensuing days, the team from Kathryn Hunt Studios of West Hartford fully decorated the dining room and provided finishing touches throughout the Residence. Other generous donations were provided this year by Connecticut Greenhouse Growers Association, the Nurserymen Association, Jones Family Farms, and students from Lyman Hall Future Farmers of America.
From DAS, in addition to Waller and Sullivan, Ed Faitella and Don Gunderson, who serve as chefs and housekeepers at the Residence, played a pivotal role in preparing the facility for the public. Of course, these efforts were overseen by DAS’s incomparable Director Facility Logistics and Residence Planning, Carol O’Shea.
This year, the open house will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8, 2023, and Saturday, December 9, 2023. It is located at 990 Prospect Avenue in Hartford. There is no admittance fee and tickets are not needed, however monetary donations will be accepted on behalf of Operation E.L.F., an annual fundraising campaign of the Connecticut National Guard Foundation.
Live music entertainment will be provided on both days. On Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., that entertainment will be provided by vocal performers from VP Vocal Studio, led by vocal coach Vanessa Pare. On Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., singers from Conard High School’s Be S#arp acapella group will perform.
