PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — It’s that magical time of year again, which means it is time for Presque Isle Historical Society’s fourth annual Victorian Christmas.
The Society’s 1875 Vera Estey House Museum will “magically” be transformed into a Victorian Christmas showcase. Each room in the small, two-story Victorian-era house will be adorned with handmade Victorian-era-inspired decorations and live florals, including a beautiful evergreen gown. There will be costumed “interpreters” in each room performing various tasks from the period. n addition, visitors can sample wassail, a hot cider punch, while listening to live music being played on Vera’s 1908 piano, and children of all ages can participate in a scavenger hunt based on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
The Victorian era is considered to be 1837-1901, the years during which Queen Victoria reigned in Great Britain.
Each year, the event brings Victorian Christmas traditions to life and always includes new hand-made decorations and a new exhibit in the middle parlor. This year, in addition to sampling Wassail, visitors can sample a “Peppermint Pig,” one of the only Victorian Christmas traditions from the U.S., and sugar plums.
The new exhibit for 2019 features interesting and unique Victorian Slang terms.
Kim Smith, board member and event creator, said, “The Victorian Christmas tours are really quite different from the summer tours of the house. In addition to having the house decked out in beautiful handmade decorations and florals, adding a very festive ambience, the Christmas tours are self-guided and focus on yuletide traditions still observed today that originated in the Victorian era, rather than on the history of the Estey family that is covered in summer months.”
Smith added, “The event is a unique way to get in the holiday spirit and has even been written up in AAA’s New England Journey and Downeast magazines.”
Various local businesses have collaborated to sponsor the event, she noted.
Victorian Christmas at the Estey will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14. Tickets can be purchased at the door. There is on-street parking (or around the corner in the public lot across from City Hall). The 1875 Vera Estey House Museum is located at 16 Third Street in Presque Isle.
The mission of Presque Isle Historical Society, a 501c3 non-profit founded in 1963, is to study, promote and preserve the history, culture, heritage and physical artifacts of Presque Isle for future and present generations.
For more information on its programs or to make a tax deductible contribution, visit them on the web at www.pihistory.org.
