by Noella Noelophile®
(Photograph courtesy of Columbia State Historic Park.)
Would you like to see an 1850s-style Christmas celebration in a California Gold Rush town?
Next Saturday and Sunday, December 21st and 22nd, you’ll get that opportunity.
Those are the dates of “A Miner’s Christmas“, a free celebration on Columbia’s Main Street, in Columbia State Historic Park!
Sponsored by Friends of Columbia State Historic Park, this annual event takes visitors back to what Christmastime may have been in the mid-nineteenth century.
Columbia State Historic Park is a National Historic Landmark District, with the largest single collection of existing Gold Rush Era structures.
And when you visit, you may well feel that you’ve gone back in time.
(Royalty-free image by Rene Ciampa from Pixabay.)
Miners tell Christmas stories around an open fire. Chestnuts are roasting, and guests can make a variety of old-fashioned crafts.
The historic buildings of the town of Columbia are decked out in greenery and vintage decorations. Hot coffee and cider are waiting.
(Photo courtesy of Columbia State Historic Park)
And the stagecoach is due at 12:30, bringing a special Christmas guest!
Be sure to bring your camera and wear comfortable walking shoes. Columbia has a wide range of independent retail businesses along its main street, with all the proprietors and employees dressed in period costume.
Amid the festivities, you’re likely to want to explore the bookstore, clothing shops, soap and candle shop, and more. And I wouldn’t tempt you (much), but Nelson’s Candy Kitchen, which USA Today has named as one of the top ten sweet shops in the nation, is not to be missed. Started in 1926, they’re currently run by the fifth generation of Nelsons to create handcrafted candies and confections. A look at their website reveals some luscious-looking chocolates, AND they might offer you a warm sample of their handmade candy canes!
Finding gold doesn’t sound like half as much fun.
“A Miner’s Christmas” happens this Saturday and Sunday, December 21st and 22nd, from noon to 3 pm on Columbia’s Main Street, in Columbia State Historic Park. Admission is free.