Enjoy a delightful old-fashioned beginning to the holiday season with a visit to Switzerland County’s “A Country Christmas”.
Visit two historic farm houses celebrating Christmases of the past on Saturday, December 12th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Have a simple country Christmas at 1820’s Venoge and also enjoy the beginnings of modern Christmas celebrations at the 1860’s Thiebaud farmstead.
The pleasures of hearth cooking and entertaining of the times as celebrated in rural Southern Indiana come to life in these two beautifully restored National Historic Register properties.
At Venoge you can sample traditional Swiss Christmas cookies, including the very special Springerle cookies, made with wooden molds. Sample cheese made on the hearth and listen to music of the period supplied by Michael Thompson.
While there, pick up some fresh cedar branches for your home decorating. Musee de Venoge is one of the few remaining examples of the French colonial architecture that once characterized the first settlement of Switzerland County.
The Thiebaud home will be welcoming Christmas with later traditions such as a decorated tree and a small dramatization of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and other tales of the time.
Live Christmas tunes by ‘West of Dublin’ will also welcome the season.
The Thiebaud house is part of the developing Agriculture Museum Center property of the Switzerland County Historical Society.
Musee de Venoge is located at 111 State Route 129, which is two miles west of Vevay on State Route 56 and one mile up 129.
The Thiebaud Farmstead is located at 5147 East State Road 56, which is about three miles west of Vevay.
Admission to “A Country Christmas” is free, with donations greatly appreciated.
For further information about the two sites, visit www.switzcomuseums.org or call (812) 427-3560 and www.venoge.org or call (812) 593-5726.