No one seems to remember how Soup on the Stoop got started, or how long the Reformed Church of New Paltz has been bringing it to Huguenot Street. But it’s an integral component of the Church’s Christmas Fair, and a glorious gesture of holiday generosity and love for the community. It was back last Friday evening, with half a dozen savory choices available at any one time, for free.
“It’s the annual kickoff of the Christmas Fair. All the soups are donated by volunteers from the Church community,” explained volunteer Tim Smith, waving in the direction of a big jar of bills and coins sitting on another table. “Any suggested donations go to Family of New Paltz.”
When HV1 arrived, the big electric pots laid out in a row along the folding tables under a tent in front of the Church contained vegetarian vegetable soup, broccoli potato, Tuscan lentil, chicken rice, coconut curry and bacon bean. The tortellini and sausage soup had already been eaten up. The bowls being handed out were made of compostable materials, which will come as no surprise to those familiar with the congregation’s branding as a “Green Church” with a Caring for Creation Committee whose members organize a big Earth Day Fair every spring.
Adding to the delights of sampling yummy hot soups on a chilly December evening was the sound of caroling from the Church’s front steps. The singers this year were all young folks from New Paltz High School and SUNY Ulster; thus, the musical selections leaned more toward the contemporary – “Last Christmas” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” for example – than the classic or the religious.
Across the street, luminaria lined the walkways leading to the Wullschleger Education Building, whose upper level had been transformed into a holiday crafts and greenery market. Poinsettias were for sale in two sizes, along with evergreen wreaths and centerpieces. In the center of the big room were clustered a dozen or so Yule trees, each festooned with ornaments of a particular theme, style or materials: Woodland Creatures, Under the Sea, Winter Wonderland and so on. Some were knitted, some felted, some made of metal. There was even a pet-themed tree.
Around the perimeter of the room were table displays featuring works for sale by a variety of crafters. One long table was strewn with one-of-a-kind hand-knit items from the Church’s active knitting circle. A quilter offered totebags, tree skirts, potholders and more. You could buy jams from Autumn Whimsy, cutlery by Rada, serigraphs of seaside scenes by Nancy Stanich, homemade cookie trays and boxes of whisky-flavored Fireball Fudge. To help raise funds for her college tuition, 17-year-old Arianna Phillips was selling cute many-colored bracelets made from rubber bands.
The evening’s offerings culminated in a full concert, inside the Church sanctuary, by the fabulous Big Blue Big Band, fronted by Kate Weston on vocals. Once again, the set list leaned more toward secular numbers than the sort of carols that might be expected in such an ecclesiastical setting. But there’s nothing more appropriate for the full-blown Big Band treatment than the repertoire of Christmas songs popularized during the World War II era, such as “White Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” Even when the brass-heavy orchestra assailed a more religious-themed number, they made it swing – notably a strongly syncopated arrangement of “Joy to the World.”
Like Soup on the Stoop, the concert was completely free to anyone who wandered in. And this festive evening of holiday welcome was only the first phase of the Reformed Church Christmas Fair, which resumed on Saturday morning with more shopping opportunities, a two-hour visit from Santa and another free performance, this time by That Duo. Kudos once again to all the Church volunteers who join forces each December to bring this merry celebration to the people of New Paltz.
Join the family! 
