Sedona AZ (December 4, 2019) – The Sedona Heritage Museum is hosting their annual “Christmas in the Park” open house on Saturday, December 14 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The event extends free admission to the museum and a day filled with special activities as a holiday gift to residents and visitors.
Everyone will be treated to hot apple cider, holiday cookies and free entertainment and activities. A fire will burn in the red rock fireplace of the old Jordan house and the museum will be decorated in vintage holiday decor. A tumbleweed ‘snowman’ will greet all guests and the day opens with strolling carolers from 11am-noon.
A special feature this year will be a display of gingerbread houses made by local non-profits. Their gingerbread constructions will represent their mission in whimsical ways, made of cookies, candy and other embellishments. At 2 p.m., a panel of celebrity judges, including the Mayor, will choose winners in several categories and visitors will vote for a “People’s Choice” winner. Right after the awards, winners of a silent auction will be announced and the gingerbread displays will go home with buyers to be special décor for the holidays. Funds raised will go to the individual charities, so residents are encouraged to come by and bid often.
At 1:30 the Red Rockappella chorus will take the stage in the Historic Fruit Packing Shed, which is heated, to entertain with holiday music and a sing-along.
Guests are also invited to make a cornhusk doll or ‘glittery angel’ with Museum volunteers or visit the DIY “make & take” holiday ornament and decoration activity table. Instructions and samples will be provided.
In addition, Sedona old-timers and descendants of local pioneer families, including Jordan family descendants, Pat Schnebly Ceballos (Sedona’s granddaughter), Mary Smith Wyatt (grand-daughter of Link Smith), Larry Clemson (great-grandson of the Schuerman family) and Dora Madrid (Chavez & Armijo families) will be in the Museum’s exhibit rooms telling stories about early Sedona and their memories. Some of them have books about their families in the Gift Shop and you can get autographs.
During the day there will be demonstrations by Museum volunteers of the Jordans’ 40’ long apple sorting machine and Walter Jordan’s vintage tractor.
Holiday shopping in the Museum’s Gift Shop will be a “must do”, as you take advantage of the shop’s annual sale. The Gift Shop carries many items made by local artists and crafters, along with unusual gift selections for both kids and adults.
Admission, activities and refreshments are all free.
Finally, at 3:00 p.m., award-winning actor and playwright Michael Peach will take the stage to present the holiday classic, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. Encounters with the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future teach miserly Ebenezer Scrooge what it means to be human in this perennial holiday favorite. Guests are encouraged to come early to enjoy refreshments in the Museum and then enjoy Peach’s dramatic and inspiring narrative. This special performance and reading is about an hour long and appropriate for all audiences. In lieu of paid admissions, each guest is asked to bring new non-perishable food items or $6 to be donated to the Sedona Food Bank.
The Sedona Heritage Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places, and located at 735 Jordan Rd. in Jordan Historical Park in Uptown Sedona. For more information, call the museum at 928-282-7038.