Celebrate an Old-Fashioned Christmas at Millard’s Crossing

            NACOGDOCHES – For many, the “Old Fashioned Christmas” at Millard’s Crossing Historic Village is an annual tradition which is now in its 16^th year.  “We wouldn’t miss it for the world”, enthused an attendee last year  “This event really begins the Christmas season for our family”.  This year this uniquely nostalgic event will be held on Friday, December 4^th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm

            Although the Village is open year round , with  a variety of tours and activities for visitors, on the first Friday of December,  the Village presents  its annual “Old- fashioned Christmas Candlelight Tour“ in a peaceful, non-commercial setting “ for a Christmas experience that is more in keeping with our memories of this celebration in the past,” says Susie Lower, Village Director, “and it’s lots of fun.!” 

              This delightful evening begins when visitors enter the gate on a hayride and are greeted with live Christmas music, the smell of wood smoke from the fireplaces, and an entire antique village lit up and decorated for the Christmas season.  As they stroll the grounds, they can join in  the many activities such  as the  “Walking to Bethlehem” cake walk, or joining in the “learn on the spot” square dancing or “contra-dancing”,  featuring lively fiddle music and a caller who also serves as an instructor.      

            Inside the houses, visitors will be amazed at the wide variety of antiques as well as learn about the crafts of the many skilled artisans on site to demonstrate techniques of spinning, quilting,  tatting,  while outside they can learn about  whittling and the use of old tools.  “Once again we are very fortunate to have John Tatum of Mission Tejas State Park with us to demonstrate how they were used”, says Susie. “Farmers were remarkably innovative in making tools that would do jobs we have forgotten about today.  We have an exceptional collection of antique tools – many of them hand made – which tell the story of subsistence farming in East Texas. It’s fun to test your knowledge of early farm tools with the guys in the tool shed”, says Susie. 

            Children and their parents will delight in the variety of activities offered for some old fashioned fun–such as taking a  ride on  T-Bone the mule, or on a  pony at the corral, corn shelling, push-plowing, writing with quill pens and trying their skills at old fashioned games and making corn cob dolls and darts to take home. Children will love getting their penny candy weighed in the Country Store and everyone loves hearing the country musicians who play while sitting around the old pot-bellied stove.  Then it’s time to hop on the “Happy Train” which weaves its way around the village and back again to take on more riders. Participants can enjoy live theatre by attending one of three performances of Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”, which has become an enormously popular feature of this event.

            And everyone loves to climb aboard the old Nacogdoches & Southeastern wooden caboose that used to be part of a train that was originally chartered to haul logs out of the Angelina and Atoyac River bottoms. 

            Traditional Christmas comestibles such as cocoa, wassail, punch, coffee and cookies will be served at several of the houses, and down-home favorites such as Sausage on a stick, Frito Pie, Nachos, chili potatos and popcorn can be purchased at the food court.    

            This remarkable village was created by the late Lera Millard Thomas, wife of former Congressman Albert Thomas.  From the late 1960's through 1985, Mrs. Thomas relocated the buildings which make up the Village in an effort to save a variety of 19^th century Nacogdoches County structures for posterity, as well as to provide a place to house her extensive antiques collection

            The “Old-Fashioned Christmas Candlelight Tour” celebration at Millard’s Crossing Historic Village takes place from 5:00 to 9:00 PM Friday, December 4th.  Admission is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children.   Children under four are free. “ We are very fortunate to have Brookshire Brothers as a sponsor for the event says, Susie Lower, Village Director. “ Their support makes it possible to keep all of our activities free of charge once people are in the gate.”

               Millard’s Crossing Historic Village is located on the north side of Nacogdoches on U.S.

 Business 59,  ½ mile north of Loop 224 in Nacogdoches.  The event is held as part of the Nine Flags Festival.  For a more complete listing of events call the Village at 936-564-6631 or e-mail staff at info@millardscrossing.com