We hope everyone enjoyed our Christmas Tour of Homes and a very special thank you to those providing their decorated homes for this year’s tour: Ramona Hobbiebrunken, Arlo and Julie Wallin, and Bernice Wegner and Harold Lyman. It was a beautiful day and the houses all offered unique differences in decorating styles.

The museum will be closed Thanksgiving Day as well as the Friday and Saturday following to give staff the opportunity to be with their families. We wish each and every one a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

The museum will host its annual Christmas gathering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5. Admission will be a $1 donation and children 11 and under are free.

Volunteers and staff have been busy for many weeks decorating for the Christmas season, and we’d like you to join us for an hour or so during the day for fellowship, homemade treats, coffee, and cider to view all of our Christmas exhibits. Be sure to check out Santa’s workshop located on the upper level in the old office. Santa and one of his reindeer will be joining us from 10 a.m. to noon. Photo opportunities will be available during that time frame. There will also be children’s crafts during the day. We know everyone is busy during the Christmas season, so we hope our extended hours will permit you to stop in sometime during the day as you are running errands or for your coffee break. We’ll have the coffee and cider ready all day, so please plan on stopping by. Please also note the day of the week change: we are having our event on Saturday instead of Sunday as it has been in the past.

Our Village Christmas Lights will start Thanksgiving weekend. Be sure to drive through and check out our manger scene by the church and all the beautiful lights throughout the village. Thank you to Dave Mullenbach and other volunteers that helped with our Christmas decorating.

The museum will host a four-hour AARP defensive driving refresher class from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 9, 2016. The cost is $20 for AARP members or $25 for nonmembers, which includes the class materials and administrative fee. You must pre-register for the class and will need your driver’s license to do so. The refresher course is needed every three years after the initial eight-hour class is taken to continue receiving a discount on your auto insurance. Call or stop by the museum to register during our regular business hours. You will receive your certificate at the end of the class. Our next class will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6, 2016. Please note that in my last article I stated the January class would be in the morning, that was an error. The class will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The date has been secured for a bus tour to see Marion Ross April 2, 2016, at the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas. She is starring with Hal Linden in the play “Moon Over Buffalo” by Ken Ludwig. In this comedy, two fading stars of the 1950s are playing a comedy and drama in rotation in Buffalo, New York. On the brink of a disastrous split-up, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at regaining their stardom. One perfect performance is all they need. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong does. Please plan on joining us for this great trip to see our hometown star live at the New Theatre Restaurant. A $100 deposit is required by Jan. 2, 2016, to secure your spot on this weekend getaway. Call or stop by the museum for details.

With the end of the year just around the corner, we invite you to renew your museum membership now. This will help us to plan our budget for the new year. We appreciate the continued support of the individuals and businesses that support the museum.

 

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village, 1031 Bridge Ave.