This holiday season, Genesee Country Village & Museum (GCV&M) is taking advantage of its 600-acre campus to create a welcoming respite from the pressures of the past year. From craft markets to Yuletide celebrations, the slower pace of life in the Historic Village and Nature Center lends a feeling of peace and comfort to the festive – but often hectic – season. Watching a cook tend her warm hearth fire or catching the blacksmith working at the forge will calm even the most frazzled holiday-prepper’s nerves. This year, the line-up of events at the museum includes some visitor favorites as well as some new experiences.
To start the season off, GCV&M will be hosting local artisans for a Holiday Market on Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For just $5 per person for ages three and up, visitors can shop specialty, hand-crafted, and locally produced goods from art, food, and gift vendors representing the best from around Western New York. When hunger strikes, guests can stop for lunch or a snack at food trucks on the Great Meadow. The museum’s own Flint Hill Store will be open as well, offering unique and museum-made artisan goods. Although the Historic Village’s buildings will not be open during this weekend, visitors are welcome to walk the lanes and maybe capture that perfect holiday card photo. Ages two and under are free, and tickets will be available at the door, as pre-sale is not required for this event.
The season of festivities continues November 21 with Preparing for Winter from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a day full of activity as costumed interpreters busily prepare the village for the colder months with spinning, cooking, and candle-making demonstrations each day. Visitors will see first-hand the labor involved in preparing food for winter, including butchering, smoking meat, and sausage-making. Villagers will also be busy creating handmade gifts for the holidays, and take-home craft kits will be available to purchase for those inspired to do the same. The museum’s Nature Center staff will put the focus on birds and how they prepare for winter, with games, crafts, and bird house-making demonstrations for the whole family.
The museum will also welcome special guest storyteller Tonia Galban, from the Mohawk Nation Bear Clan, to Preparing for Winter weekend. Tonia will share Native American stories for all ages about the woodland animals and fall nighttime skies. In between stories, this traditional Mohawk basket-maker will weave in some cultural tidbits about her heritage. Tickets for Preparing for Winter will be available at the door and are $10 for ages 13 and up. GCV&M members and children 12 and under are free.
In December, GCV&M will put on its best holiday finery for Yuletide Open House and Yuletide Pancake Breakfasts. Yuletide Open House, a COVID-friendly reworking of the popular Yuletide in the Country tours and Holiday Open House, will offer guests multiple weekends to enjoy a relaxed, self-guided visit to the Historic Village in all its winter splendor. Each Saturday and Sunday from December 5 through December 20, the village will come alive with a variety of holiday-themed experiences, from historical demonstrations by the museum’s skilled and knowledgeable interpreters to charming scenes of holiday traditions brought to life. As guests travel the village, they’ll encounter the Polish tradition of breaking the oplatki during a Polish Wigilia celebration, hear about Hannukah and the lighting of the menorah, enjoy the smells of the cooks working on holiday dishes in various village kitchens, and more. In addition, there will be music, artisan demonstrations, and the star of the season, St. Nick, will on hand for a socially-distanced visit. For those wishing to experience the village decorations by lantern-light, Saturday’s extended hours will be from noon until 6 p.m., while Sundays will run from noon until 4 p.m. Tickets for Holiday Open House are pre-sale only, no at-the-door tickets will be available, and will be $18 general admission ages three and up, $15 for GCV&M members ages three and up, and free for ages two and under.
The Yuletide Pancake Breakfast is a hearty meal that will be offered every day of Yuletide Open House, with three limited-capacity seatings each day. While feasting on pancakes, sausage, and all the trimmings, guests can look out at the gazebo and its giant tree, cheerfully lit for the season. Each child will receive a small gift and will have the opportunity to post a letter to the North Pole, plus St. Nick will be available to say hello or snap a photo as well. Tickets for Breakfast are $10 for ages 13 and up, $8 for ages two through 12, and free for children one and under. Reservations are required, and tickets are available now at gcv.org. Note that Breakfast and Open House tickets are separate.
Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Flint Hill Store will be open during all holiday season events for those looking for unique, handmade gifts, including pottery hand-crafted in the Historic Village. Flint Hill Store hours as well as details for all holiday events, are available at www.gcv.org or on the Museum’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @GCVMuseum.
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