Your family can celebrate a settler-style Christmas this weekend as Lang Pioneer Village Museum in Keene presents its annual “Christmas by Candlelight” event.
From 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (December 6 and 7), experience a 19th-century winter wonderland as the village is lit with the soft glow of candles, lamps, lanterns, and hearth fires and decorated with pine and cedar garlands and freshly made natural centrepieces.
Hear the jingle of sleigh bells as you tour the village by horse-drawn wagon ride courtesy of Highview Farm and see how settlers celebrated their first Christmas in the wilderness by visiting the Fife Cabin.
Find out about traditional holiday treats and the history of the Christmas tree and stockings in the Milburn House and join a traditional toast to the holiday season at the Fitzpatrick House, where you can also learn about a settler’s Christmas meal.
View a selection of early Christmas gift ideas at the General Store, learn the history of the toy maker at the Carpenter Shop, and find out what the Tinsmith would be making for people to decorate and prepare for the holidays. Visit with Father and Mother Christmas, and don’t forget to bring your letter for Father Christmas to leave in his mailbox.
You can also join in some reindeer games including wooden tandem skis, snowshoes, and sled races, make a Christmas craft, and participate in a traditional Hogmanay celebration.
Live music includes the St. John’s Bell Ringers performing Christmas tunes with hand bells, hymns and carolling in the Glen Alda Church, and traditional shanties and Christmas songs performed by Glen Cardus and Fiddling Jay, who will also share the story of the Flying Canoe.
You can also listen to a reading of the traditional Christmas tale “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” On Sunday only at 7 p.m., there will be a live nativity scene complete with animals and a choir presented by the Keene United Church.
You can warm up by the wood-burning stove in the kitchen of the Keene Hotel, which will be serving treats and hot drinks. Stop by the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building for ham and savoury on a bun, or get some freshly popped kettle corn from Ben’s Kettle. Food and drink items are available for an additional fee
In the spirit of the season, Lang Pioneer Village Museum is asking visitors to bring one or more non-perishable food items to donate to the Otonabee-South Monaghan Food Cupboard, which you can drop off in the Museum Shop.
Admission for Christmas by Candlelight is $17 for adults, $11 for students and seniors 60 and older, $9 for children and youth aged five to 14, and free for children under five. Family admission is also available for $45 (for two adults and up to four youth ages two to 14). On-site parking is available on a first-come first-served basis, with overflow parking available at McIntyre Park,
You can purchase tickets in advance from the museum’s online shop, but advance tickets are not required. Note that this is a cash-only event and there is not an ATM on site.
