Americana Furniture to Host "Americana Applefest & Veteran's Day Celebration" Sat., Nov. 7, Noon to 4 p.m. Rain or Shine

In celebration of the opening of their customizing Design Center, and Veteran’s Day on November 11, the iconic Americana Furniture in Waterford will host a free indoor “Americana Applefest & Veteran’s Day Celebration” 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. Featuring live country-western and bluegrass music by the Still Pickin’ band, magicians, children’s puppet shows, children’s “bob for apples” contests and face-painting, the Celebration will be held inside the Americana Furniture store and giant warehouse.

Throughout the day free apple pie from the store’s Apple Pie Café, hot and cold apple cider, apple cider donuts, popcorn, and raffle prizes will be offered to attendees plus a 10% discount on all in-store purchases.

At 1:00 p.m., Celebration attendees will be invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their 1,200 square foot in-store Design Center and new design team that offers interior design and furniture customization services. During the ceremonies, Americana Furniture will announce the winner of their Baked Apple Pie Contest that will be judged at 1:00 p.m. by volunteers from the Waterford VFW chapter. They will also announce winners of their kids’ and adults’ “Why Apple Pie Makes Me So Happy” Essay Contests. Winners of the kids’ contest will receive new bicycles while the adult contest winners will receive Americana Furniture $250 Gift Certificates.

As part of their Celebration and new Design Center, between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. on November 7, Americana Furniture will pay tribute to the contributions of America’s Veterans by announcing their donation to a Waterford-area U.S. Veteran and his/her family who will receive a “Room Makeover” for one room in their Waterford-area home. “In honor of America’s national Veterans Day,” explained Kathy Hansen, general manager, “we have been working with the non-profit organization Make-A-Home-Foundation to identify a local area veteran family for whom we will provide a complementary room re-design using primarily furniture made in America. At a future date, we will reveal our ‘Room Re-Design’ at that selected veteran’s home.”

Since 1922 Americana Furniture has been in eastern Connecticut,” continued Hansen. “Through those more than nine decades, this continuously-family-owned business has been a proud supporter of America’s military and American Values. This Celebration is one way we are ‘giving back’ to our loyal customers, prospective customers and our U.S. Veterans.”

Located for 66 years at 35 Great Neck Road in Waterford, Americana Furniture has been a favorite furniture shopping destination for Connecticut residents. The business began when cousins Hilbert and William Hendel began peddling their portable house ware products on foot throughout the New London, Groton and Mystic area. Six years later they opened Hendel’s Furniture in downtown New London. Their business prospered and in 1949 the cousins purchased several acres of land in Waterford on which stood a red dairy barn. Today the icon location, without the dairy cows, complete with the barn and silo continues as home to Americana Furniture.

Jon Hendel, current president and grandson/great-nephew to the Hendel cousins, commented, “Our legendary store offers a relaxed, comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for shoppers to wander through rooms filled with inspiring ideas for all furniture styles for every room in a house. This heralded business is the only continuously-family-operated furniture store in the region for more than 90 years. We are also the only store to also offer complementary design services to all our customers, plus furniture that fits every budget offered in our showroom and our ‘purchase and carry’ warehouse. Our newly-launched Design Center offers highly-individualized service for our discerning customers. Every day, our experienced staff strives to provide every customer with a depth of knowledge and expertise that assures them they can be confident with their furniture purchases. We are proud today to continue the family tradition of good value, fair pricing, and personal service.”

Admission and parking are free at the Americana Applefest & Veteran’s Day Celebration on Saturday, November 7, that will be held rain or shine from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.americanafurniture.net, or call 860-442-8587. Americana Furniture is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.