Celebrate an Old Fashion Christmas with bagpipes, dulcimers, musicians, carolers, Kris Kringle, a Christmas play and so much more.
Washington, KY, an American village that dates back 230 years has become a tradition in many families in the area dating back to their parents and grandparents to get in the holiday spirit by attending Frontier Christmas, always held the first weekend in December. This year’s Christmas holiday season will open on Saturday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and end at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The museums and many of the homes in Old Washington will already be decked out in pioneer style greenery, candle-lit windows, pine-scented rooms and holly-decked mantles. Step back into the 18th century as you tread the flagstone walks of our pioneer forefathers, just as many of your ancestors have done for the past 49 years and enjoy this 1700’s village for a day or the weekend. Many new Christmas festivals have started in the past 49 years, several have not continued, but Frontier Christmas with candle dipping in C. 1787 Medford’s Fort log cabin, enjoying hot cider and cookies in the C. 1797 Albert Sidney Johnston Museum along with many other crafters, in a village that celebrates Christmas to the fullest has endured the test of time.
Paxton Inn, built prior to 1810, will have seated dining offering traditional foods as well as KY Burgoo, venison stew, and homemade desserts with transparent puddings, a Mason County delicacy. Washington Meeting House will offer cream candy, bourbon balls, many kinds of fudge, other candies, sandwiches and soups. Washington Hall will sell and take orders for blackberry jam cakes, fudges and tons of homemade candies and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Museum, C. 1807 will also offer foods and Christmas goodies.
You won’t want to miss the Vesper Service Sunday at 4 in the Old Church Museum or the play, “One Quiet Night” in the C. 1870 Gothic Revival White church at 2 p.m. on Saturday and on 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Numerous historic buildings are brimming over with antiques, and handmade specialties. Old Main Street is lined with shops with a wide array of offerings from primitives to victorian antiques, Fenton specializing in replacement Fenton shades, Fiesta ware, jewelry, glassware, silver, picturing frame shop and an antique lamp shop. During Frontier Christmas some of these shops will have specials, drawings for prizes, give coupons, and put candy in each bag. This is the last of Washington’s events for 2015.
Washington, (now part of Maysville), is located 4 miles from the banks of the Ohio River, 50 miles northeast of Lexington, KY, 50 miles west of Portsmouth, Ohio, and 51 miles east of Cincinnati, OH, (take the Wilder exit #77 off I-275 onto Route #9 – also known as the AA Highway), then turn right at the light between Wendy’s and Hardee’s onto US 68 toward Lexington, turn left at the third light up into Old Washington. Washington is one mile south of AA Hwy. on old US 68.