CAPE MAY – Historic Cold Spring Village, an open-air living history museum, invites visitors to enjoy a day of shopping while celebrating Early American holiday traditions at its first annual Christmas in July, held July 13-14, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Antiques dealers, folk artists and crafters will gather along Historic Cold Spring Village’s shaded, clamshell lanes to display and sell their wares. Featured items at the show include country & Victorian furniture, jewelry, hand-blown glass, linens & textiles, pottery, toys, books, home décor, and more! Christmas in July is generously sponsored by the Priester Foundation.
The Village’s restored historic buildings, which date from 1691 to 1912, will be open with historical interpretations and demonstrations of the trades and crafts from the mid-1800s, with a special focus on hands-on holiday traditions. Visitors young and old will be invited to participate in special holiday crafts and activities, including making pomanders, writing letters to Father Christmas with quill pens, and creating clay ornaments.
In addition, HCSV Education Director Jim Stephens will offer a talk on the history of Christmas and the development of many of the traditions still celebrated today. Local musician Mary Roth will stroll the Village grounds and delight guests with Christmas favorites played on traditional instruments. Father Christmas will also make a visit to the Country Store on both Saturday and Sunday for a meet-and-greet with guests.
For the past thirty years, the Village has hosted a series of antiques and arts shows each summer, one in July and one in August. “HCSV is once again hosting the Annual Antiques and Folk Arts Show on August 3-4, we but decided to offer something different to visitors this July,” said Anne Salvatore, HCSV Executive Director. “Now, summer visitors to the Cape who do not get the chance to experience our off-season holiday celebrations will have the chance to learn about Christmas traditions from Early America.”
Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit, open-air living history museum that portrays the daily life of a rural South Jersey community of the Early American period. It features 26 restored historic structures on a 30-acre site. From late June to early September, interpreters and artisans in period clothing preserve the trades, crafts and heritage of “the age of homespun.” Fun and educational activities for children are featured Tuesday through Sunday, with special events every weekend through mid-September.
Historic Cold Spring Village is located on Route 9, three miles north of Victorian Cape May and four miles south of Rio Grande (Exit 4 of the Garden State Parkway). Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner’s Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. Visit the Country Store, Needle Arts Coop, Bakery, Ice Cream Parlor and Cold Spring Grange Restaurant. For more information on events, membership, volunteering, or booking private affairs, please call (609) 898-2300, ext. 10, or visit the Village website at www.hcsv.org.