St. Columba's Church looked particularly merry and bright with the opening of Boothbay Region Garden Club's Holiday Market & Festival on Dec. 6. Shoppers had one more day to check off a few names on their gift lists on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Christmas music filled the air joined by laughter, chatter, and much ooohing and ahhhing over the pine bough and winterberry ball gown made by Martha Cowdery. It was sensational. And, as BRGC member Kevin Bowler reported, someone did buy the seasonal frock!

BRGC Garden Club members cooked up a storm for the Dinner's Ready shop! Some of the temptations were pork and beef bolognese, lamb stew, Brunswick stew, chicken chili with black beans, curried apple and butternut squash soup, chicken taco soup, shrimp and corn chowder, gluten-free and regular split pea and ham, and Polish kielbasa soup. All of these handy meals ready to be stored in the freezer sold out.

Theme trees ran the gamut as usual, from the Seussian to Chrisitan, from nautical to Santa(cal)! Among these was one live beauty, a Norfolk Island Pine in a gorgeous planter. 

Theme baskets were made with children and adults in mind - from games and toys, to baking and cooking, to Christmas margaritas and wine with munchies.

Table settings - napkins and tablecloths, dishes, glassware; novelty items - including a few from Nature's Gifts: tabletop trees of sea glass and scallop shells topped with starfish that lit up to use instead of or with candles.

Speaking of Nature's Gifts, the wreaths of cotton, with boll still attached to each one, were unusual and gorgeous additions to the treasures to be found in this shop. Small birdhouses covered with peanut butter, and other nut butters, held a variety of seeds fast to the structures.

Toys! Books, puzzles, stuffed animals and more were available individually and in a few theme baskets. 

Sweets for the sweet on your list - or maybe just for yourself - were tempting everyone to the Sweet Shop. Pies, hot chocolate and marshmallow cones, cookies, cake ... for giving or for oneself as preparations are being made for this year's holiday season. By the event's end, all but a few bags of cookies remained.

Bowler reported a fantastic event: The Sweet Shop was down to several bags of cookies; what few theme trees were left were donated to the American Legion to be brought to Togus.

All of the shops reported very good sales. The remaining succulents, donated by Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, were donated to the MaineHealth Lincoln hospital (formerly Miles), Bowler said. "A great response from the community for our Trees for Deserving Families program. We had little kids dancing to the Christmas music and lots of laughs were heard."