November 15, 1998|By Randi Kest | Randi Kest,Contributing Writer
* The Shops at Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St. in Philadelphia, welcome Santa Clauses from around the world and through the centuries during their "Legend of Santa Through the Ages" festival tomorrow through Dec. 24. Visit with medieval Santa, Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, Pere Noel, Kris Kringle and Old Man Christmas from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission: free. Call 215-875-8350.
Christmas in Fairmount Park is celebrated when nearby garden clubs decorate seven mansions in 18th- and 19th-century fashion. Tours of the mansions - located along the Schuylkill River and maintained by the Philadelphia Museum of Art - are available by car or trolley. Daytime tours can be taken Dec. 4-9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission: $15 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Daytime trolley tours ($20 a person) are given from 9:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and depart every 15 minutes from the art museum (26th Street at Benjamin Franklin Parkway) or the Horticultural Center (Belmont and Montgomery avenues).
Candlelight Tours of three of Fairmount Park's houses are offered Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 8. Tours begin at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. A trolley takes visitors on a 2]-hour guided tour of the houses. Departing from the Horticultural Center, the tour includes a light supper with wine. Admission: $35 for nonmembers. Reservations required. Call 215-235-SHOW.
Santa comes to breakfast at Philadelphia's Hard Rock Cafe, 12th and Market streets, the first three Saturdays in December. Breakfast buffets 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. cost $9 per person, children under 2 free. Call 215-238-1000.
* Peddler's Village in Lahaska, Bucks County, kicks off the holiday season with a gingerbread house display Wednesday through Jan. 2 in the Village Gazebo. Houses on display include Victorian, Unusual and Children's, which will compete for more than $5,700 in prizes. Admission: free. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The Peddler's Village Grand Illumination will be at dusk Nov. 20 with festivities continuing until 9 p.m. The Peddler's Village Christmas Village opens Dec. 5-6 with a visit from Santa, carols sung by the Christmas Bell Choir and Victorian-garbed carolers, and decorations throughout. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 6. Both events are free. Peddler's Village is located on U.S. Route 202 and state Route 263 in Lahaska. Call 215-794-4000.
* Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square will be festooned with 400,000 lights and thousands of poinsettias, tulips, narcissuses, cyclamens and other flowers from Nov. 26 through Jan. 2. A family gathering titled "Home for the Holidays" is depicted in the Conservatory Music Room, and a 16-foot Christmas tree welcomes visitors. The outdoor gardens open at 9 a.m., and the Conservatory at 10 a.m.; both close at 9 p.m. Admission: $12 adults ($8 on Tuesdays), $6 for ages 16-20, $2 for ages 6 to 15, under 6 free. Recorded information is available by calling 800-737-5500 or 610-388-1000 or by visiting www.longwoodgardens.org.
* Historic Gettysburg begins its holiday celebrations Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. when the town's decoration displays are illuminated at 7 p.m. followed by a parade. Both events are free.
Other holiday events include a historic house tour of several private homes Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., $10 per person. A candlelight tour of the historic Schriver House, 309 Baltimore St., will be held the same night starting at 8 p.m. Reservations are required. Call 717-337-2800 for information on either the historic house or candlelight tours. Tickets: $5 for adults, $3.75 for
children 6 to 12, under 6 free. Call 717-337-2000 for general information.
DELAWARE
* The Wilson Warner House in Odessa will be transformed into Peter Pan's Never Neverland during the city's annual Yuletide Tour. Visitors will learn the literary history of the classic story, as well as the social and cultural trends of the era during the Historic Houses of Odessa celebration Tuesday through Dec. 31. Historic Houses of Odessa are located between Wilmington and Dover on Main Street off U.S. Route 13. Admission: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and students 12 and over, $3 for children 5 to 11, free for children 4 and under. Call 302-378-4069.
* Winterthur's 20-room annual holiday tour highlights two Russian-themed vignettes pegged to the current "Nicholas and Alexandra" exhibit in Wilmington. Also included in the program, which runs Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, will be decorating highlights from the tour's past 20 years. Winterthur tours last about 90 minutes and leave every few minutes starting at 9:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon Sunday. Winterthur is six miles from Interstate 95 on state Route 52. Admission: $13 adults, $11 students and seniors, $9 children 5 to 11, free for children under 5. Call 800-448-3883.
* Delaware's Agricultural Museum and Village, located south of Delaware State College on state Route 13, will present its annual holiday festivities Dec. 11-12. Demonstrations of blacksmithing, china making, lace making, quilting, tinsmithing and basket making are scheduled for both days. A children's workshop to make Victorian ornaments will be conducted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 12. Hours: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 11 and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 12. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students and children not yet in school are free. Fee for children's workshop: an additional $5. Call 302-734-1618.
Pub Date: 11/15/98
