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Carrousel museum announces holiday events

by jmaloni

Submitted

Fri, Nov 14th 2014 04:05 pm

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda has announced three holiday events through November and December.

It will offer a special tour program this holiday season. During the tour, guests will learn about holiday traditions from the 19th and 20th centuries with themed trees and hands-on objects, read a holiday story, make a Victorian-style carrousel ornament and ride on the 1916 carrousel, decorated for the season.

The tour will be available Mondays through Thursdays from Dec. 2 to Dec. 19. Tours last between one and one-and-a-half hours, and can be scheduled to begin anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The tour and activities can be adapted for any age group from pre-K through eighth grade, or for adult groups. The cost is $5 per person; the group leader and bus driver are complimentary. Tours can be scheduled for groups as small as 10 students, with a maximum group size of 35 students. Groups are asked to bring one chaperone for every five students.

Santa Claus will also visit the museum Saturday, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. Guests are served lunch with Santa at 11 a.m. More activities start at noon, including decorating a stocking, making a holiday ornament and coloring a picture for Santa. An extra highlight each afternoon is a special holiday performance at 1 p.m.:

•Nov. 29: Holiday carols with Step in Time Music

•Dec. 6: Holiday balloon magic show with Janice Spagnola

•Dec. 13: Holiday magic with Rob and Carol Allen

•Dec. 20: Holiday comedy with Charlie and Checkers

The cost for the event is $10 per person for lunch, or $6 per person for the afternoon activities only. Reservations and prepayment are required for lunch. The lunch price includes all afternoon activities. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Lastly, the late 1800s gave birth to many modern Christmas customs, including Christmas trees. But the Victorians had their own unique aesthetic, and decorations from this period are quite distinctive. Guests can learn the history and art behind Victorian Christmas ornaments while making one of their own in this special hands-on workshop.

This year's workshop will demonstrate how to make a Victorian-inspired hot air balloon ornament using period-appropriate materials. Participants will have the opportunity to make this ornament or use their imagination to design their own creation, with the help of vintage examples for inspiration. There will also be cookies and cider, Christmas carols and a ride on the carrousel.

The workshop takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. Tickets are $10 per person and pre-registration and payment are required by Friday, Nov. 21. The program has a maximum enrollment of 20, with a minimum enrollment of five. Due to skill and supplies, this program is suitable only for ages 16 and up.

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is housed in the historic Allan Herschell Company Factory building at 180 Thompson St., North Tonawanda. For directions or to reserve a space for any of the events, visit www.carrouselmuseum.org or call 716-693-1885.

 

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