Exchange Place hosts its annual Christmas in the Country celebration Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Kingsport’s historic living history farm. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children under 12 in the final public event of the year at the tradition-rich farmstead.
Vendors and demonstrators are on both sides of Orebank Road, which feature handmade folk arts and crafts such as pottery, one-of-a kind greeting cards, inimitable soaps, paintings, hand-woven items, wooden ware and jewelry. Vickie Price’s wreaths, roping and bundles — made with a wide variety of freshly-cut greenery — are available.
Christmas in the Country began its life as Christmas in a Country Kitchen, and food is still a component of the festival. Joining Charlotte Ellis of Flour Fancies with her homemade breads and fruit cakes are others with baked goods and treats, both to eat on-site and to take home. A special addition this year is Lynette Carter with her holiday molded chocolates, with proceeds benefiting Exchange Place. Two Dads Cafe of Kingsport has lunch and snack items available, such as chili, potato soup, pork barbecue and cobbler.
Christmas in the Country is more than a shopping opportunity. Part of the Exchange Place’s mission is to demonstrate how pre-Civil War ancestors would have prepared for the holidays. The Eden’s Ridge Hearth Cookery Society, featuring the Junior Apprentices, are making salsify fritters and cinnamon waffles in the kitchen, and ginger cakes and popcorn in the Cook’s Cabin. The JAs are a busy group, as they will be decorating a tabletop Christmas tree and making pomanders (a ball made for perfumes to ward off foul odors) in the Schoolhouse, chopping wood and assisting in the Blacksmith Shop. They also offer a variety of handmade and historically-inspired goods, including tulip poplar baskets, ginger cakes, Christmas crackers and Yule Log kits.
The Overmountain Weavers Guild is in a variety of places around Exchange Place. They will be demonstrating their skills and displaying the weavings from the three top winners of their 50th Anniversary Challenge and continuing their exhibit of yarns dyed naturally with herbs and plants, as well as Suzanne Burow’s reconstructions and innovations woven from antique drafts. The rare, restored rocker beater looms can be seen in the Burow Museum, while handmade and handspun fiber items, some made using the wool from our Cotswold sheep, are on sale in Roseland. Near the Burow Museum, visitors find a red-seated carriage, perfect for a photo with that old-time feel that could become this year’s holiday card.
Jennifer Hanlon returns to lead a needle-felting workshop that results in participants creating their own snowman, a perfect holiday addition. This class begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Roseland building and lasts for much of the day. The cost of the workshop varies, depending on supplies needed. Visit www.hanlonscreativecorner.com for complete information, including the required advance registration.
Showing the simplicity of the Christmas celebration on the Preston Farmstead in 1850 is a focus of hands-on children’s activities. A youngster of that era might have made a toy, gift or card from natural treasures found on the farm, or from leftover cloth or yarn, something that could be hung on the Christmas tree. Seasonal “chores,” like grinding corn, or the necessity of making candles to get through the winter, are located around the site, depending on the weather. Stocking stuffers and unusual gifts can be found at the Museum Store, located next door to the Roseland building. Shoppers find ol’ timey toys, oak split baskets and a variety of items exclusive to our farmstead, like Exchange Place prints, ornaments, a cookbook of 19th century recipes, and much more.
The Yule Log Ceremony, a free community tradition is held near the Cook’s Cabin beginning around 4:15 p.m., concluding the day’s festivities. Originated by the Vikings, it served as a way for them to honor their gods and request good luck in the coming year. Later it was incorporated into the harvest festivals of Germany and Scandinavia, then moved to England when the Normans conquered the isles, and eventually was brought to the New World by the Pilgrims.
For more information, call Exchange Place at 423-288-6071 or visit exchangeplacetn.org.
