Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum to Host Day-Long Seasonal Celebration

Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum to Host Day-Long Seasonal Celebration on Saturday, December 18

WETHERSFIELD – The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum will spread good tidings and holiday cheer with a day-long seasonal celebration on Saturday, December 18, from 10 am to 6 pm. The Museum’s Winter Open House will include historic holiday house tours, live Celtic Christmas and Winter Solstice music from Ringrose & Freeman (with special guests The Carroll Sisters), a soft-shoe dance performance from students at the Griffith Academy of Dance, costumed strolling carolers, an interactive Kwanzaa presentation, special exhibitions, and a visit from Old Saint Nick.

The Museum will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items on behalf of Connecticut Foodshare throughout the day. A list of suggested food items can be found on the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum website.

Delicious fresh-baked cookies and cocoa from Heirloom Market will be available, as well as samples of locally roasted coffee from Drumroll Coffee Roasters. While waiting to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, children can have their faces painted and create fun holiday crafts to take home with them. Families can delight in taking the Museum’s beloved historic holiday house tours and viewing the newest holiday exhibitions. Costumed carolers will stroll the Museum and houses as the sun sets, when candlelight house tours begin.

Winter Open House Highlights
Have you been naughty or nice? The young and young-at-heart can visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. While the kids wait for their chance to talk with Santa, they can have their faces painted and create make-and-take ornaments.

At 10:30 am, come join a Celtic Christmas with young dancers from The Griffith Academy as they delight with some soft-shoe jigs, reels, and hornpipes to holiday music in the Holcombe Education Center’s Waterman Room. The Griffith Academy is one of the nation’s top Irish dance schools with a long tradition building community and character through the art of dance. Founded in 1954, Griffith Academy has produced top competitive Irish dancers and international performers for more than 60 years. In addition to Irish dance, the school offers classes in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz to all levels ages 3 to adult, including an all-boys class option. A staple in the Old Wethersfield community, Griffith Academy has a rich history of creating an extraordinary family culture in which both staff and students are part of an artistic education that lasts a lifetime. Follow the Academy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @TheGriffithAcademy.

At 11:00 am, Educator and Storyteller Andre Keitt will lead an interactive Kwanzaa presentation in the Holcombe Education Center’s Waterman Room. Keitt felt a strong connection to the cultural arts from an early age and says that storytelling is “in his blood.” His beloved grandmother, Martha Greatheart Thompson (“Mama Thompson”) told him stories that he uses today in his tale telling. Mr. Keitt received a B.A. in English from South Carolina State University and worked doing outreach, marketing, writing, teaching and performance arts for Hartford Public Library, Dallas Public Library, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Bushnell Memorial Performance Hall, Hartford Stage Company, and Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Serving as the Artistic Director for Journey Writers, Inc., Mr. Keitt also facilitates discussions and performs storytelling for the Connecticut Humanities Council’s kid program, Book Voyagers, where he opens the doors of art and culture to diverse peoples and places near and far. Mr. Keitt created his virtual Kamp Kitt, Kwanzaa and Celebration of Light programs for kids and families during the pandemic. He facilitates storytelling workshops for adults, children, and the community.

At 2 pm. Ringrose and Freeman, with special guests The Carroll Sisters, will perform Celtic Christmas and Winter Solstice music in the Holcombe Education Center’s Waterman Room. This unique duo combines fiddler Jeanne Freeman, whose playing has been described as “effortlessly virtuosic”, and singer/guitarist Dan Ringrose, whose voice has been called “stunning.” Together, they bring a lively fresh take on traditional tunes and songs, and performances interwoven with stories, poetry, and humor. They have been featured on Connecticut Public Television, many other television and radio programs, and have performed at numerous festivals and venues.

Dan Ringrose was reared on Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem music and began singing their songs by the age of three. With his rich and powerful baritone voice, a mischievous sense of humor, and a comfortable command of the stage, Dan has entertained crowds in festivals, fairs, and concert halls for 30 years. Along with numerous radio and television appearances, he has performed with some of the most notable names in Celtic music, including Tommy Makem, fiddler P.V. O’Donnell, The Clancy Brothers, John Whelan, and others. Mr. Ringrose performs regularly throughout the region and has several solo recordings.

Jeanne Freeman founded The Connecticut Academy of Irish Music, where she teaches Irish fiddle to students of all ages. Classically trained in her early years, Ms. Freeman studied Irish fiddling with friend and mentor, the late Donegal fiddler P.V. O'Donnell. She has performed as the featured Irish fiddle soloist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, was recently the Guest Artist for Simsbury Public School’s town-wide String Festival, and regularly hosts traditional Irish music sessions throughout the area in addition to her other teaching and performing engagements. Ms. Freeman appears on several recordings, including her solo debut CD, “The Fiddler You Are.”

The Carroll Sisters - Emilie (16) and Nora (14)- love all Celtic music and have been playing violin since they were 5 and 4 years old. They began taking classes at The Connecticut Academy of Irish Music in 2014 where they have been taught, shaped, and inspired primarily by Jeanne Freeman and John Whelan. They now perform in many venues across New England, including Sober St. Patrick’s Day in New York City and the Boston Celtic Music Festival. The Carroll Sisters are most known for their lively fiddle tunes, beautiful harmonies, intriguing counterpoints, and unique musical arrangements. They will release their first album this month.

On display: “Home for the Holidays” features a selection of artifacts from the Webb-Deane-Stevens collection—including toys, books, and models—which help visitors enjoy snippets of holiday celebrations across the years. Large panels reproduced from a rare 1889 edition of The Night Before Christmas or A Visit of St. Nicholas fill the Kuckro Gallery. Also on display is “Picture it in Silk,” which highlights schoolgirl needlework from the late 18th and early 19th centuries often consisted of “pictures” or scenes stitched in silk. The creativity inherent in these artworks is evident, be they depictions of local scenes or pieces made in honor or memory of family members. Six examples from the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum collection serve to illustrate the range of topics and techniques employed in creating these enduring objects.

The History of Christmas Tour: Journey with us to the past as we celebrate the holiday traditions at our three historic houses. New Year’s Day, rather than Christmas, was the main holiday at the Silas Deane House (circa 1770) due to the Puritanical customs that lingered in New England. The house reflects the preparations for The Deane’s’ “New Years’ Day Calling,” when prominent gentlemen in the community would call on the lady of the household. It was also the day when individuals who owed the family money would meet privately with the master of the house to settle their debts or make a New Year’s resolution to provide goods or services to settle their accounts in the coming year. The Isaac Stevens House is decorated to depict the holiday celebrations of a middle-class household during the mid-1800s, when many of the Christmas traditions known today were adopted in New England. At the Joseph Webb House, visitors will see festive decorations typical of the early 20th century, including Christmas trees, evergreen roping, fresh greens, fruit, and period ornaments. At 4 pm, the lights will dim, and guests will be treated to candlelight tours as Costumed Carolers stroll through the Museum and houses.

Winter Open House admission is payable at the door. $15 per adult; $12 per senior over 60, AAA member and active military; $6 per student and children (5-18, children under 5 FREE), $30 per family (2 adults + children). All scheduled activities and appearances are subject to change.

The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is located at 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, Connecticut. For more information, visit https://webb-deane-stevens.org/ or call 860-529-0612.