Christmas at Historic Webster Village

By Joanne Westman, Guest Contributor

Have you ever wanted to experience Christmas by stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting, feeling the warmth and joy of that holiday? Well, the Historic Webster Village may offer just that opportunity. The Village Green and historic buildings will be decked out in greenery and lit by candlelight, lanterns and luminaires. The Arbor Consort, dressed in period costume, will begin the evening with the lighting of the Christmas tree at 5:15 then stroll through the village, filling the night with music.

Santa has taken residence in the Old Town Hall, next to the Charlie Brown tree, where children will make their Christmas wishes known to the jolly old guy and receive a candy cane. This is Santa’s first visit to the Old Town Hall since it was built in 1871. He feels very comfortable there in his big chair.

In the Podunk one-room schoolhouse, at 5:30 and 6:30, children will gather as they did when the school was built in 1846 to listen to a reading of the treasured American poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Wander over to the Wheeler Blacksmith Shop and be amazed by the traditional art of blacksmithing. Blacksmith, Shawn Spitza, will fire up the old forge and show how tools and agricultural instruments were made in the 1870’s when Victor Jean Wheeler was the Webster Township blacksmith in this historic building.

Visit the Kleinschmidt General Store, brimming with holiday goods, cookies, and hot chocolate. And if by then, Jack Frost is “nipping at your nose”, take that hot chocolate just outside the store and sit around a crackling fire.

Now, can you get any more Norman Rockwell than that? Make this the first of an annual holiday tradition. Norman would have loved it.

Historic Webster Village

5583 Webster Church Road

Saturday, December 16, 5:00-7:30 pm

Suggested donation $10.00 p/p Children under 12 free