The Town Doesn't Light Greenwich Avenue. We Do.

Here's something most people don't know: the town doesn't pay for the holiday lights on Greenwich Avenue. There's no Town Hall budget line, no town crew stringing bulbs. Every light you see every December — on the Avenue and in Cos Cob — is funded entirely by donations from residents and local businesses, organized through Let There Be Lights.

That's the moment we all picture when the season starts here: the trees lit, the shop windows glowing, the walk from the train station up the Avenue feeling like stepping into a holiday movie. It only happens because people chip in to make it happen. You can see how it works, and pitch in yourself, at gwchavenue.org — here's the rest of the story.

The town doesn't pay for any of it — if we don't fund it, it doesn't happen.

Let There Be Lights isn't a Town Hall initiative. It's organized by two local residents and run through the Greenwich Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — which is also why every donation is tax deductible. There's no town crew and no town line item behind any of it.

Simply put: the lights exist because residents and local businesses fund them, dollar by dollar, bulb by bulb.

But the lights are more than decoration. They bring people downtown and fill the sidewalks on cold evenings, giving our local shops and restaurants a boost during the season that matters most to them. They're the backdrop to family photos, first dates, and the walk to dinner after the tree lighting — part of what makes Greenwich feel like home, not just look like one.

You don't need to be a major donor to make a difference. The math is simple: the more we raise, the more trees we can light, and a bigger fund means a brighter Avenue and a brighter Cos Cob. Donations can be made anytime at gwchavenue.org.

A heartfelt thank you to the merchants already stepping up this year — please shop and dine with them: Faherty Brand, Vineyard Vines, Saks, RH, Shreve Crump & Low, Famille Jewelers, Richard's, Miller Motor Cars, and Toyota of Greenwich. Restaurants: Miku, Moli, Hinoki, Bianca, and The Cottage. Real estate supporters: the Greenwich Association of Realtors, Sotheby's, Coldwell Banker, Beau Chimel Design, Suzanne Marek Armstrong, Helene Barre, Karen Coxe, Francine Ehrlich, Joy Metalios, Kevin and DeAnne Sneddon, and Carol Zuckert.

Businesses supporting this year's effort: Interactive Brokers, Gabelli Funds, Northern Trust, M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust, First County Bank, Granoff Architects, Carlson & Carlson, Mandelbaum Barrett PC, L Catterton, Hegney Lennon & Slane, K Investments, HB Nitkin, Brand Street Properties, Fareri Associates, Lauricella Associates, Pickwick Plaza, Regency Centers, Reichenbaum Properties, Sutton Land, Marx Realty, New England Investment Partners, Paradigm Realty, Wilcon Holdings, DaDe Corporation, Malkin Family, Baratta and Persico Families, AGW Partners, Greenwich Chamber of Commerce, Greenwich Water Club, and LDN Management.

And thank you to the residents who've stepped up: Keleshian Family, The DaPuzzo Family, Townsend Family Foundation, Lee Agnew, Arturi Family, Amanda Bates Goodro, Marion Beale, Roger and Roxana Bowgen, Emily Brahms, Jim and Kate Clark, Brendon DeSimone, Fowler Family, Horseneck Group LLC, Jackson Family, Cate Keeney, Michele Klosson, Sebastien Lahaie and Eleni Drinea, Matorin Family, Caroline McNally, Jim Mullins, Mary Caroline Parker, Dani & Jeremy Rossi, Judy Ruttkamp, Serpa Family, Geri Smerglio, Stamford Dental Group, Keith and Maria DeLisi Ward, Ben Ziemba, and Wendie Force.

This tradition has always belonged to the people of Greenwich, not Town Hall. This year, let's make sure it shines brighter than ever: donate at gwchavenue.org, share this with a neighbor, and we'll see you on the Avenue.