Old Independence Regional Museum will host its 5th Annual Old Fashioned Family Christmas Party on Saturday, December 10th, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Admission is free for this event, but donations are always appreciated. This is the final installment of the museum’s popular Family Day series for 2011.
“We envision an old fashioned Christmas as one where families come together to enjoy the stories, sights, and sounds of the season. What would Christmas be without cookies handmade crafts, Christmas cards, and carols? We look forward to sharing some of the Christmas traditions with visitors of all ages and hope that generations of families will come out and share some old and make some new Christmas memories,” statedAmanda Nikkel, Volunteer Coordinator.
The morning will begin at 10 a.m. in the museum’s Southerland Theater with Sylvia Crosby, museum volunteer and board member, leading a sing-a-long of Christmas favorites.
At 10:30, join Alyson Low, Batesville native and Youth Librarian at the Fayetteville Public Library, for Christmas stories. Ms. Low will be reading How Murray Saved Christmas, I’m Not Santa!, The Longest Christmas List Ever, and
The Worst Person’s Christmas. “They are all funny books – my favorite!” said Low.
After story time, museum guests are invited to visit stations throughout the museum where volunteers and staff will be on hand to help decorate gingerbread men, design Christmas cards, and make ornaments. Visitors will also use the art of karigami to create snowflakes.
The museum gift shop will be open during the event. “Santa’s Helpers” will be on hand to assist children in gift selection for parents, grandparents, and siblings. Free gift wrapping will accompany gift purchases. The gift shop carries books and toys, as well as a variety of educational, local and hand crafted items many of which are priced for small pockets.
This humanities program is made possible by local support from Independence County and the City of Batesville, as well as by Challenge Grant Endowment funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities
Normal museum hours are: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children. The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.
Old Independence is a regional museum serving a 12-county area: Baxter,Cleburne,Fulton,Independence,Izard,Jackson,Marion,Poinsett,Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence Countyin 1820’s Arkansas territory.
