by Lilly Weisz

WESTPORT — The Westport Book Shop welcomed in the new season with a Winter Family Fest on Saturday morning.

With the cheerful notes of the holiday carols playing, parents, caretakers and children assembled on the adjacent Jesup Green in the misty morning — as well as inside the story — taking part in ornament decorating, hot chocolate and story reading.

The book shop partnered for the event with The Porch and Sweet P Bakery — both of which are co-owned by Andrea and Bill Pecoriello — in part because of their shared interest in initiatives that help employ adults with disabilities.

“We have a dual mission,” book store co-manager Katherine Caro said, “which is to support The Westport Library and to hire young adults with what we call advancing abilities, different abilities, and give them the skills they need in the work environment.”

Many area groups with related missions were invited to the festivities, including Applied Developmental Analysis (ADA) Therapy in Fairfield, which inspired Denetria Eady and Rosalie Febus to bring some children with ADA to enjoy the festivities. 

“It’s a great way to keep connected to this,” Eady said, gesturing to the gathering of Westport community members, “and to learn about the Westport Book Shop.”

Parents brought their children as well, and many young people munched on chocolate-chip cookies while covering wooden snowflakes with paint and glitter.

Asked what she liked, Lyla Goldstein, 3, said with a giggle, “Every part of it.”

Her mother, Nicole Goldstein, said she thought the event was a great attraction for youth in the community, and they expect their daughter will be asking to return soon.

“We would definitely be telling our friends that we did this over the weekend,” she said, “and that the next time the library and library bookstore put on an event, they should join us.”

Officials from the book shop said they hope that this event — and others like it — will help encourage people from Westport and the surrounding towns to visit. 

“We’d love to get more kids into the bookshop, more people into the bookshop to support our cause,” said Westport Book Shop board member Sharuna Mahesh, who helped come up with the idea for the fest. “We have a great mission of supporting the library and employing adults with disabilities.”