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For the past 2 years we’ve gone as a family to the Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford complex in Dearborn. It’s a wonderful way to spend a Christmas-season evening. Can’t be beat.
It’s about $15 per adult, $6 a kid, or so, and this special event lasts for just the Twelve Days of Christmas.
The whole village is arrayed in the historic fashions of Christmas in America, covering all the eras, house by house, area by area.
Dozens of reenactors in period outfits roam the grounds, strolling arm-in-arm, spending the evening out with us everyday folks.
Speaking of people, buy your tickets online well ahead of time if you want to visit on a weekend. There’s a 2500 capacity and it sells out on weekends. The weekdays pre-sold about a thousand tickets and had just the right amount of people — a cozy bustle but not a crush.
Caroling groups cluster here and there in various period outfits, including just some members of the public doing their thing. I really appreciate it that there’s hardly any amplification for any of the dozen musical displays.
The streets are lamp-lit and there are bonfires on every corner to warm yourself by.
Model-T’s putt-putt on past with wreaths on their radiators, giving rides. Variously sized horse-drawn carriages join in. Someone went clomping slowly on by on a huge white draft horse. It’s really something to see a 10-foot tall horse move past you in the dark.
I also like how you don’t see people until you’re up close to them, in street clothes or period outfits. It’s an intimate setting.
Last year it was about 5-10F and we froze badly despite being heavily dressed. This year I was still a bit frosty and it was 25F. I think it’s the gentle activity that gets me cold. Something like Sorels and a snowmobile suit is a good idea, but maybe you can come up with similar thickness with better looks.
The various shops are open showing their period craft skills. The dozen or so antique homes are also on full Christmas display, each showing how the holiday was celebrated during the period of the house.
In early American history, Easter was the main Christian holiday. From what I could tell, Christmas as we know it — with the tree and all — didn’t take off until awareness of German culture spread far and wide, which may have started with the advent of the Civil War. There were several War period reenactments as well.
The famous Cotswald Cottage had an English family enjoying a cozy winter while serving as hosts for an American WW2 radio detachment.
What you do is walk into each house and a host tells you what you’re seeing and why.
These homes are often literally the homes of famous Americans that were moved to the GV premises by Henry Ford decades ago.
One of our favorite sights are the Mummers — a troupe of buffoonish actors dressed up in Victorian-era animal masks. They’re from an old tradition where folks could dress up once a year during the winter and play-act their way into rich people’s houses for some free food and drink — if they were funny enough. (Buffoons per se come from medieval times when once a year the local outcasts were allowed to dress up and tease and mock the local authorities.)
I also like the period outfits in general — and the lady with the big, wide pheasant hat, in particular.
Now that we’ve gone twice, I heard some peeps from the family that “we’ve seen it all.” I’m going to do what I can to go this year, too. Because novelty isn’t entirely the point. Once you know a play you can relax and look a bit more deeply, I think. Besides, we do miss a lot every time.
There have always been lines for the Roast Beef shack along the street in town, as well as for the Roasted Chestnuts. I’m willing to stand in line next time.
The large “Taste of History” cafe is terrible, really. A couple of us got stomach-aches from it. The hot, mulled, spiced — and spiked — drinks that are available on various corners are great, though.
For a fancy dinner, check out the Eagle Tavern on the premises. They serve period-correct top shelf food and drink. I’m pretty sure reservations are needed or very smart to get and that it books up, sells out. You can get a combo admission and feast for $75.
I’d think a nice way to spend the day would be to visit the Henry Ford Museum (inside) for the day. Then go get dinner somewhere, anywhere, and come back when the Night starts at 6:30. You don’t want to be late. The Night goes by really fast!
I didn’t bring my camera so I just found a few snapshots online to present here. Here are a couple links to more:
* gfv1929.blogspot.com — an in-depth report on the Village through the seasons
* www.flickr.com/photos/mi48192/3201162257/ — a few winter snapshots
Ice skater.
A street corner market on Main Street.
The WW2 guards for the Cotswald Cottage.
The pheasant hat lady.
The Mummers.
