Come To The Greenwich Historical Society Holiday Festival On Dec. 7

GREENWICH, CT — Festive activities that generations of families have relished are back this season with even greater historic relevance at Greenwich Historical Society’s Holiday Festival, which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Families will enjoy visits to the Historic Barn, complete with gingerbread decorating and crafts in Santa’s workshop, an ice sculpture, tasty treats and carolers, visits with Santa and guided tours of the Bush-Holley House.

For more information on the Holiday Festival and to purchase tickets, click here.

“History will be more alive and relevant than ever at our campus this year as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026,” said Historical Society Director of Public Programs and Exhibitions Lauren Ackerley in a news release. “Attendees at Holiday Festival will have a glimpse of what people did during the holidays in the colonial era at the time of the Revolutionary War.”

Colonial-inspired activities include a scavenger hunt that challenges families to find George Washington’s missing parchment scrolls; illumination crafts based on Charles Wilson Peale’s window decorations; snowflake cutting ornaments popular in the period; ice sculptures in the shape of a colonial tricorn hat and ship; and gingerbread decorating, all while colonial-period tunes are sung by yuletide carolers.

The Historical Society’s current exhibition "Greenwich During the Revolutionary War: A Frontier Town on the Front Line" will also be open for families to explore for a deeper connection with what residents experienced in the tense conflict leading to our nation’s founding.

Bush-Holley House Tours: A Time Capsule to Holiday Traditions

Christmas past will be on display through the season at the National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House where visitors will experience the holidays as they were for the Bush and Holley families and their Greenwich neighbors during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Docents will share stories about each family’s traditions as they guide visitors through the authentically decorated rooms - from the simple greens in the Bush family rooms to walls adorned with artwork from members of the Cos Cob Art Colony who resided at Holley House when it became a cradle of American Impressionism.

Appropriate for adults and children 5 years and older, tours are approximately 45 minutes and are scheduled at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays beginning Nov. 30, through the end of December.

Proceeds from all Greenwich Historical Society holiday activities provide critical funding for arts, education and preservation programs.

“Since we are not funded by the town, support for our holiday events is critical to ensuring these programs continue to benefit the community for years to come,” added Historical Society Executive Director and CEO Debra Mecky.

Greenwich Historical Society is located at 47 Strickland Road in Cos Cob.

For more information on Bush-Holley House and to schedule a tour, click here.