Holiday Activities at American West Heritage Center

March of the Socks

The Holidays are here, and to help celebrate, the American West Heritage Center is getting ready for its annual March of the Socks, a Christmas stocking exhibit featuring stockings that have painted, quilted, welded, carved, and more. Framed art from these artists will also be available for auction.

The exhibit displays the talents of nationally and regionally renowned artists and the American West Historic Quilt Collection Committee. Once the stockings are completed, painted, or decorated, they are auctioned off in a silent bidding process. Benefits from the event will be used to assist the American West Heritage Center, a non-profit living history museum and history center, with its Artists and Education Programs and to help maintain its heritage quilt collection.

 

"It was so fun last year to see so many lovely and interesting stockings," explained David Sidwell, Program Director at the Heritage Center. "The quilt committee came up with some amazing stuff, and with the contributions of the professional artists, [the stockings] were quite a sight!"

 

 

The center is also hosting an "Old Fashioned" Frontier Christmas festival Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The festival will be held at the Heritage Center in Wellsville, just off Highway 89. Cost is free with a food donation for the Cache Community Food Pantry.

 

There will be Christmas activities, crafts for kids and adults and Christmas performances throughout the day. Father Christmas (an old fashioned Santa Claus) will be available from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Always popular at the event is Chuck Carles, who will bring his antique toys. The festival will also feature an interactive living nativity scene, complete with barn animals, and lots of festive old fashioned holiday decor. Food will be available throughout the day.

 

That evening, the center hosts its second annual Victorian Christmas Feast, a dinner event that includes historically authentic recipes and entertainment from the past. When supper is over, the tables will be moved aside to prepare for the Victorian Winter Ball. Playing for the ball this year is the Better Half Band.

 

The cost for the Victorian Christmas Feast is $30/person or $240 for a table of 8. Reservations are required for the feast and can be made by calling the Heritage Center at 435-245-6050. The dancing is free and open to anyone and begins at 8 p.m. Horse drawn wagons will run at key times to bring visitors to and from the Opera House, where the dinner and dance will be held.

 

For more information on any of the activities, contact the Heritage Center at (435) 245-6050 or email info@awhc.org .

 

Writer: Keith Wilson, American West Heritage Center Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator