A Victorian Christmas at Hardman Farm State Historic Site means horse-drawn wagon rides, beautiful period decorations, homemade sorghum ginger cookies, and so much more. In all its elegance, there flows through the grounds at Hardman Farm the whisper of a simpler time when people stopped to enjoy the essence of Christmas. That is what you will find on Friday and Saturday nights, December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A Christmas Party in 1877
The year is 1877, and guests will escape 2024 through horse-drawn carriages, the smell of fresh greens, and homemade treats. It’s a Christmas party hosted by the home’s first owners, the Nichols family at “West End,” the original name of the farm.
Reenactors in period-style clothing portray Captain Nichols and his wife Kate, daughter Anna Ruby (namesake of Anna Ruby Falls just north of Helen), mother-in-law Augusta Latimer, and a host of friends who have come to the party.
“You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Christmas past,” said Sarah Summers, Hardman Farm’s assistant manager. “It’s a dose of Christmas magic and a memorable event for the whole family.”
The Victorian traditions
Guests walk through the mansion and interact with reenactors who explain various Victorian Christmas traditions. Local guest musicians fill the mansion with the sounds of Christmas each evening.
“This year’s musical line-up features everything from a harpist to a local dulcimer group to pianists who play the 1830s square baby grand piano,” said Summers.
The smell of fresh-baked cookies lures visitors from the mansion to the historic kitchen located just off the back of the house. Bakers prepare batches of homemade sorghum ginger cookies each night.
“What’s fun is that the cookies are made with sorghum grown, pressed, and bottled right here at Hardman Farm,” said Summers. “They are a true Christmas treat!”
The familiar jolly old man in the red suit awaits guests in the farm’s carriage house just a few yards from the kitchen. A horse-drawn wagon awaits to take visitors down the historic Unicoi turnpike, once part of a Native American trading route. Outside, guests can gather around the fire pit for smores and meander inside the visitors center to shop for holiday gifts from local artists and crafters.
Information
Tickets for Victorian Christmas can be purchased online at gastateparks.org/hardmanfarm. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $15 for children 6-17. Children 5 and under are free. A family rate of $45 is available and covers 2 adults and their children ages 17 and younger. A 10% group discount is available for groups of 15 or more. For more information, visit gastateparks.org/hardmanfarm or call the Hardman Farm visitors center at 706-878-1077.
