DEERFIELD — Historic Deerfield will time-travel to the 19th century for “Getting Ready for a Winter’s Ball,” two interactive evening tours Dec. 1 and Dec. 8.
“Participants will visit with the 19th century residents of Deerfield as they get ready for a ball. Along the way they will encounter a variety of scenes capturing the spirit of the evening. Visitors will step inside the Hall Tavern kitchen and see the food being prepared, listen to musicians rehearse in the ballroom, meet an anxious mother sending her daughter off to the ball, and learn about a romantic intrigue that’s got the village residents talking,” according to the museum organization.
Tours are about an hour long, and will be held both Fridays leaving every 15 minutes from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $25 per person, and each tour is limited to 10 people. Advance registration is required and is available online at www.historic-deerfield.org.
From Nov. 24 to Dec. 10, Historic Deerfield will be a collection site for gift donations to the Family Center at Community Action, a nonprofit anti-poverty agency serving Franklin County. Donations can be dropped off from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the museum’s open hours at Hall Tavern.
“This year, Historic Deerfield will support the Family Center by collecting donations of gifts for children up to 18 years of age to be distributed to families during the holidays,” the statement says. Gifts should be unwrapped, age appropriate for teenagers, adolescents, and young children. Gift cards can also be given.
As winter holidays approach, Historic Deerfield will host a series of traditional festive activities on the weekends from Dec. 2 through 17.
Those events include informational sessions led by hearth cooks, educational artisan classes, and history workshops — an opportunity to make handmade gifts, socialize, play colonial games. Admission for programs is included with general admission unless otherwise noted. A full list of activities can be found at www.historic-deerfield.org.