Historic Happenings Blog

All the Creatures Were Stirring, Even the Mouse! Thomas Nast’s Furry Christmas  (December 4, 2019-January 12, 2020) Thomas Nast (1840-1902) illustrated the figure of Santa Claus and Christmas images throughout his career. Nast was inspired by the famous poem  A Visit from Saint Nicholas , popularly known as ‘ Twas The Night Before Christmas , written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. Nast included many elements from Moore’s poem in his illustrations. Through a selection of the artist’s work, this exhibition explores how Nast developed the image of Santa Claus as a jolly, round-bellied, white-bearded, gnome-like figure that immediately captured the imagination of both children and adults throughout the United States when first published and that continue to delight audiences to this day.

December 1 to January 5 -- Morris County A Very Merry 19 th -Century Christmas  MORRISTOWN, NJ  – This holiday season, travel back in time to 19 th -century Morris County to learn more about the introduction and evolution of our most beloved Christmas traditions.           Not only our long-lived Yuletide customs but more than 30 period-appropriate 19 th -century costumes from Morris County Historical Society’s collections, will be on display at Acorn Hall from Sunday, Dec. 1, to Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020.          While many English customs such as the Christmas tree, mistletoe, and caroling took on a uniquely American flavor, their earliest beginnings remain as evident as ever in  A Very Merry 19 th -Century Christmas . Focusing on the Victorian woman’s role as “the ministering angel of domestic bliss,” the authentically decorated and interpreted exhibit comprises many costumes that hav...

Winter Wonderland Model Trains Display November 24, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm & Sunday, 12:00 – 5:00 pm, Admission $10 Monmouth Museum Presents the Holiday Exhibition  Petopia!  and the  Winter Wonderland Model Trains Display  from November 24 – January 5, 2020, all throughout the Holiday Season! The bond between a pet and owner is something unique. Pet portraits attempt to capture that cherished bond. In this year’s Juried Holiday Art Exhibition,  Petopia! , in the Main Gallery, will be filled with pet  paw-traits  of man’s best  fur-ends  as well as  en-deering  depictions of creatures big and small covered in fur, feathers and scales to celebrate the loving bond we have with our pets as well as the universal affection for the natural beauty and majestic power of all animals. The Museum’s  Holiday Model Trains Display  features tiny people forever frozen in their eve...

Magic of Lights PNC Bank Arts Center Exit 116 Garden State Parkway North Holmdel  New Jersey  07733 11/22/2019 - 1/4/2020 5:30 pm - 11:00 pm REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED AGE RANGE:  All Ages COST:  Early Bird $20 Before 10/31, $25 per car Monday-Thursday, $30 per car Friday-Sunday CALL:  (732) 203-2500 WEBSITE MORE DETAILS:   NJ will shine bright as guests weave through a spectacular winter wonderland drive-through lights display which opens Friday, Nov 22 and runs through Saturday, Jan 4. Opens at dusk daily, closes 10PM Sun-Thurs, 11PM Fri & Sat. Magic of Lights will feature themed light displays using the latest LED technology and digital animations, including Candy Cane Lane, 12 Days of Christmas, a twinkling Snowflake Forest and The Night Before Christmas. Families and friends will experience the thrill of Magic of Lights from the comfort of their own cars as they wind through an all-new course this holiday season. A special feature of the 20...

Saturdays, December 7, 14 & 28 Don't miss our 46th Annual  Christmas Candlelight House Tours! Saturdays, Dec. 7, 14 & 28, 2019  5:30pm to 8:30pm Experience the high point of Cape May’s holiday season during these self-guided walking tours, which feature: ​Homes, inns, hotels & churches specially decorated for the holidays ·       Christmas caroling and strolling musicians ·      Hospitality centers with warm beverages & home-baked goodies ·      Admission to the Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May’s only Victorian house museum, and to “An Old-fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years” exhibit in the Carroll Gallery ·      Limited trolley shuttle service provided Tickets: Adults $40, Children (3-12) $20 Tickets are selling quickly, so ho-ho hurrrrrry up and reserve yours today! Click here to buy tickets!  https://www.capemaymac.org/christmas-candleligh...

Visit with Santa Historic Longstreet Farm 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 07733 Saturday & Sunday, December 21 & 22, 2019, 12:00-3:00 PM Enjoy an old-fashioned Victorian Christmas - children can visit with Santa, then take a walk to the farmhouse and have a cup of hot cider. Be sure to bring your camera

Sunday, December 22 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County Christmas at The Historic Village at Allaire Create new family traditions by celebrating the traditions of an Old World Christmas. Join us for Christmas at Allaire - a day full of interactive programs and holiday activities as you experience the Magic and Joys of Christmas Past. Warm-up on the open hearth, make Christmas treats, create winter arts and crafts, dance and sing at the historic chapel, listen to the village carolers and musicians as they stroll the village, storytelling, preparing the Allaire Mansion for a French Christmas, and much more! Bring your holiday cards to be sent from our historic post office located in the General Store. Also keep your eyes out for Santa, a great photo opportunity! Here are just a few of our activities taking place this day: * Historic buildings open 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Each building decorated and interpreted according to a different Old World Christmas tradition. * Join in the preparing for a F...

Friday, December 20 – Mercer County Pajama Storytime with Gennady Spirin & Mrs. Claus Friday, December 20 at 6:00 p.m. with a viewing of the Festival of Trees from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. $30; $25 members - tickets include one book    The family includes two adults and all children under 18 in that household. Please, no combined groups. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER :   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pajama-storytime-with-gennady-spirin-mrs-claus-tickets-73027078959 MORE INFO :   https://www.morven.org/pj-storytime     Hundreds of Christmases were celebrated by families living at Morven over its long history as a home. Starting at 4:30 p.m. enjoy a private visit to the Festival of Trees in the Museum and vote on your favorite display. At 5:30 p.m. stroll across the lawn to Morven’s Stockton Education Center for a new family tradition: snack and holiday stories, music, and sing-a-long with Mrs. Claus. Award-winning illustrator Gennady Spirin will be on hand for a ...

Saturday - Sunday,  December 14 - 15  - Sandy Hook, Monmouth County Christmas at Fort Hancock, 1943 Experience Christmas as officers, soldiers, and families of Fort Hancock would have experienced in 1943 in an officer's house, authentically decorated for the season. Meet Santa on Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm and share your Christmas wish list with him. Enjoy caroling with the Trinity High School choir from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.  This free event takes place Saturday from 12:00 noon - 4:30 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm at History House, No. 1 Officers Row, within Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. For more information, visit  www.nps.gov/gate .

Sunday, December 15 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County Christmas at The Historic Village at Allaire Create new family traditions by celebrating the traditions of an Old World Christmas. Join us for Christmas at Allaire - a day full of interactive programs and holiday activities as you experience the Magic and Joys of Christmas Past. Warm-up on the open hearth, make Christmas treats, create winter arts and crafts, dance and sing at the historic chapel, listen to the village carolers and musicians as they stroll the village, storytelling, preparing the Allaire Mansion for a French Christmas, and much more! Bring your holiday cards to be sent from our historic post office located in the General Store. Also keep your eyes out for Santa, a great photo opportunity! Here are just a few of our activities taking place this day: * Historic buildings open 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Each building decorated and interpreted according to a different Old World Christmas tradition. * Join in the preparing for a F...

Christmas Sing-a-Long Historic Longstreet Farm 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 07733 Saturday, December 14,, 2019, 1:00-3:00 PM This holiday season enjoy an old-fashioned sing-along as Rich Marzec plays Christmas melodies on the accordion in the Longstreet farmhouse.

Felted Santa Class December 14 @ 10:00 am  -  12:00 pm $30 – $35 Instructor: Niki Giberson Date/Time: Saturday, December 14, 2019 10am – 12pm Fee: $30 members/ $35 nonmembers, materials included Stop by the Seaport and make the perfect Christmas gift or decoration! Instructor Niki Giberson will walk you through the process of needle felting wool to create your very own festive Santa Claus! All supplies and tools are provided. All skill levels welcome. Please call 609-296-8868 to register.

Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt Fort Monmouth Rec Ctr Prog Rm C 2566 Guam Lane, Tinton Falls NJ 07724 Fri, Dec 13, 2019, 7:00-8:00 PM (all ages, under 18 with adult) Pull-on your parka and mittens, bring a flashlight and be part of this festive night! Rumor has it that our park rangers dropped bags of candy canes all over the field. We’ll need to start by decorating bags to collect them all. After we’re sure we’ve got them all, we’ll head in for some hot cocoa and cookies and a visit with Mr. C! One Session $29.00 Per Family

Township of Ocean Tree Lighting and Celebration (Monmouth County) December 8 @ 4:30 pm   Free Please join the Mayor & Council as well as Santa Claus at our Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to take place on Sunday, December 8, beginning at 4:30 p.m., at our museum, 703 Deal Road.  You’ll be warmed from the inside out with hot chocolate and treats, music performed by the Navesink brass, and much more while we await the arrival of Santa Claus and gather together to light the Christmas Tree!

Sunday, December 8  - South Amboy, Middlesex County Old Fashion Christmas Celebration

The Sounds of Christmas Historic Longstreet Farm 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 07733 Sunday, December 8, 2019, 1:00-3:00 PM Celebrate the holidays by visiting the beautiful Longstreet farmhouse at Holmdel Park. Enjoy the welcoming warmth of this historic home with the backdrop of wistful music as Larry Moser and Mary Nagin play Christmas carols on the hammered dulcimer and fiddle.

Sunday, December 8 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County Christmas at The Historic Village at Allaire Create new family traditions by celebrating the traditions of an Old World Christmas. Join us for Christmas at Allaire - a day full of interactive programs and holiday activities as you experience the Magic and Joys of Christmas Past. Warm up on the open hearth, make Christmas treats, create winter arts and crafts, dance and sing at the historic chapel, listen to the village carolers and musicians as they stroll the village, storytelling, preparing the Allaire Mansion for a French Christmas, and much more! Bring your holiday cards to be sent from our historic post office located in the General Store. Also keep your eyes out for Santa, a great photo opportunity! Here are just a few of our activities taking place this day: * Historic buildings open 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Each building decorated and interpreted according to a different Old World Christmas tradition. * Join in the preparing for a Fr...

Christkindlmarkt December 6 @ 4:00 pm  -  8:00 pm December 7 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm December 8 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Free – $5 Tuckerton Seaport rolls out the holly for the Annual Christkindlmarkt on December 6. 7 and 8! Friday: 4pm-8pm Saturday: 10am-5pm Sunday: 10am-4pm Christkindlmarkt is a family fun three-day event with late-night hours on Friday, celebrating the traditions of the season with a Holiday Market and Craft Fair under a huge heated tent and throughout the Seaport buildings. Come jump start your holiday shopping or get in the holiday spirit with a horse-drawn wagon ride! Featuring: • Family-Friendly Holiday Market & Craft Fair • Food Truck Food Court • Live Entertainment • 50 Craft, Gift, and Gourmet Vendors • Demonstrators throughout the Seaport’s buildings •  Bring a new unwrapped toy and ride the Frozen Woods Hay Ride for free ! Admission:  $5 for non-members, free for Seaport members and children under 5 Hayride:  $5 per person Tuckerton Sea...