Coolidge Holiday Open House – Top 10 Winter Event, Dec. 7
PLYMOUTH NOTCH, VT — Step back in time and celebrate the traditions of the season when the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site hosts the “Coolidge Holiday Open House” on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The open house has been selected as a 2019-2020 “Top 10 Winter Event” by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.
Most of the historic village, including the Homestead where President Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as president of the United States, will be open. The Coolidge Birthplace will be decorated as it would have been in 1872, the year the future president was born. The event is free and features activities for the entire family.
Special guest is Willem Lange, who will present “Favor Johnson” and other stories at 11:00 a.m. Lange is a commentator on Vermont Public Radio and received an Emmy as host of the award-winning “Windows to the Wild” on New Hampshire Public Television. His story about Favor Johnson and the mysterious delivery of homemade fruit cakes on Christmas Eve is a Vermont classic. Copies of Lange’s CDs and books will be available for purchase and signing.
Also featured is Anne Collins, author of the acclaimed Vintage Pies. A resident of Cornwall, Vermont, Collins has been collecting old recipes and baking pies since childhood. At 1 p.m., she will share samples of some of her favorites, such as mincemeat, pumpkin, and Marlborough (apple custard) - a traditional holiday pie in America in the 1600s & 1700s.
Steve Morse of Montpelier will perform holiday organ and piano music throughout the day and lead caroling in the village church at 1:45 p.m.
Other activities include:
- Sleigh or wagon rides (depending on weather).
- Coolidge Homestead tours at 12:30p.m. and 2 p.m.
- Plymouth Cheese Factory offers samples of award-winning cheeses, traditional gifts, and fresh-baked sourdough baguettes from Wild Fern Café.
- Homemade chocolate demonstrations and sampling with The Chocolatorium. Make your own chocolate snowman ($3 activity fee).
- Create a paper lantern made from an early Plymouth photo, hands-on history activities for all ages in the Museum & Education Center’s classroom.
- Wreath-making and wreaths ready to go, with sales to benefit the Coolidge Site’s garden fund.
- Make elegant paper ornaments and paper-quilled snowflakes to take home for your tree.
- Special holiday postal cancellation at the historic Plymouth post office - the newest design in the John Lutz series from 1p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Stocking stuffers and more at the museum stores.
- Lunch will be served at the Wilder House Restaurant by Tyson Ladies Aid.
The Coolidge Holiday Open House is also the last chance to see the 2019 temporary exhibit, Presidential Menagerie: The Coolidges and Their Pets, which examines the important role animals played in the private life and public image of the Coolidge family. The pet exhibit was funded with generous support from the Alma Gibbs Donchian Foundation. Also investigate the nationally award-winning permanent exhibition, “‘More Than Two Words: The Life and Legacy of Calvin Coolidge.”
For further information, call (802) 672-3773, or visit www.HistoricSites.Vermont.gov
About the Division for Historic Preservation
The Vermont State Historic Sites are owned and operated by the Division for Historic Preservation, which is part of the Department of Housing and Community Development. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) works to support vibrant and resilient communities, promote safe and affordable housing for all, protect the state’s historic resources, and improve the quality of life for Vermonters.
About the Agency of Commerce and Community Development
The mission of ACCD is to help Vermonters improve their quality of life and build strong communities. ACCD accomplishes this mission by providing grants, technical assistance, and advocacy through three divisions: The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. For more information on ACCD please visit: accd.vermont.gov.