Come for the shopping and stay for the seasonal activities throughout Wiscasset Village during Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest, Friday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 4. From visits with Santa, a petting zoo, and carolers to historic house tours and horse-drawn wagon rides, Marketfest weekend is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit.

Throughout the weekend, the historic and seasonally decorated Nickels-Sortwell House offers self-guided tours with knowledgeable docents nearby. The best parlor’s seasonal florals are Victorian inspired while the sitting room and dining room have a more 1950s feel, inspired by actual Sortwell family photos. The glass-walled solarium sparkles with a whimsical celebration of color and light, and the original kitchen, usually closed to tours, is open to visitors for a snack and warm drink. A nominal admission is requested to help preserve the house.

On Friday, drop in to a demo in the Nickels-Sortwell House barn where Maré LeMay, owner of Mindful Gardens, will be making evergreen, table-top boxwood trees. No fee, no reservation needed. In the late afternoon, gather on the Creamery Pier on Rte. 1 for hot cocoa and snacks while members of the Nor’easter Barbershop Chorus serenade with carols and holiday tunes. Enjoy the lobster trap tree and sink your fingers into the deep wooly coats of Byre at Pipers Pond sheep. For young visitors, visit with Santa to whisper to him your deepest desires for Christmas.

On Saturday, don’t miss the opportunity to take a ride on Cooper Farm’s carriage, drawn by gorgeous Belgian horses, which will gladly deliver passengers to their next destination or simply take them on a sightseeing jaunt around the Village. Rides are free. At dusk, local schoolchildren gather on the Common for caroling and the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, while misty-eyed parents and visitors sink into the warmth of this long-running tradition.

On Sunday, free rides continue with Woodfield Farms’ horse-drawn wagon meandering around the Village. ‘Wreaths Around the Holidays,’ a collection of wreaths sumptuously decorated by local businesses, is on display all weekend, but this is the final opportunity to view and vote for People’s Choice. Find them in the Nickels-Sortwell House barn on Federal Street. After Marketfest, the wreaths are given to local families through Toys for Tots.

For details about these and all the activities scheduled during Marketfest weekend, please visit the web site’s calendar page, www.wiscassetholidaymarketfest.com.

The Major Sponsors who are supporting Marketfest’s many community activities are Carriage House Gardens, First National Bank, Industrial ME, J. Edward Knight Insurance, Midcoast Federal Credit Union, Red’s Eats, and Wiscasset Ford with additional support from BIRCH Home Furnishings & Gifts, Camden National Bank, M.W. Sewall, Old and Everlasting, Sprague’s Lobster, Treats, and Water Lily Flowers & Gifts.

Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest is a partnership between Wiscasset Creative Alliance and Wiscasset Area Chamber of Alliance.