"The Children Think This is Santa's House"

This year marks 25 years that Norwalk residents Rick and Joan Setti have crafted a homemade Christmas village on their property at Midwood Road, beckoning thousands of children and their families to explore the wonderland.

The Christmas village, which consists of over 700 handmade wooden figurines and over 150,000 lights fills just about every inch of the Setti's generous property. 

When Patch stopped by the Setti property, Rick Setti took time out from his workshop to give a tour of the display, including rows of kid-sized decorated playhouses, containing sets of small chairs and tables, each designed for Christmas activities.

"We get maybe 4,000 to 5,000 people here a year. Lots of kids I coached in Little League over the years, now bring their own kids up here," Setti added. "I get the same people every year, and then there's new people who have never heard of it." 

"They make the streets one-way starting Thanksgiving for the sake of safety, "Setti explained. "We go live at five," he aded clarifying when the lights go on. "We'll have cleared away all the leaves and put down hay for safety. And the music will be playing."

Longtime neighbor of the Settis, Dawn Monteiro reached out to Patch with an idea. 

"I am trying to make this year extra special for them and the children that they meet on Christmas Eve. I've set up a "project" through rockethub.com, a crowdfunding site in the hope that the entire community of Norwalk would like to help make the Settis' 25th year a special one," said Monteiro who hopes to raise enough to buy stuffed animals for Rick and Joan to give to the children on Christmas Eve.

"They don't know I'm trying to do this, simply because I think even Santa & Mrs Claus need a gift too," said Monteiro. "Even though it's not a gift for them, I know when they hand each child a stuffed toy on Christmas eve, the joy that that'll bring each child will be gift enough for the Setti's to last a lifetime."

Montero  hopes to get the word out quickly in order to purchase the stuffed animals in time for Christmas Eve, "so that we may make the Setti's 25 years memorable.

Montero said that on Christmas Eve, when the Settis dress the part as Santa and Mrs Claus and sit outside all night greeting children and listening to what they want for Christmas, she would like each child to walk away with a cuddly, stuffed animal from Santa.

"This way every child can have a memento of celebrating 25 years with our  Norwalk Santa," Monteiro said.

Second, Montero plans to compile stories, pictures, thank you notes, and so on from families and children who have visited the village over the years. She's like to put the compilation on a dvd or in a photo book. "This way they will have a memento of what they have meant to their community for the past 25 years," Monteiro said.

Monteiro said that this year she and her family helped out with one of the Settis' new displays, a tribute to Sandy Hook. "Although the Settis are celebrating 25 years, he wanted to put up a tribute to 26 Angels of Sandy Hook," Monteiro said.

To help the contribute to the fund for a stuffed animal for every child at the Settis on Christmas Eve, go the rocket hub site, where there is information about Monteiro and the project.