Every year I say it. My family and I will slow down and enjoy the holiday season. We will not go all hustle-bustle all month long until we’re dragging our feet on Christmas Eve. We will bask in the simpler things and relish in each other’s company.
Well here it is almost the entire second week of December – gone. And have we slowed down? Not really. But there is a way to slow down. Get outdoors with the cold, crisp air and watch your breath fog up in front of you. Take a buggy ride through fields and rugged, mud paths. Listen to carolers singing songs of old and sip hot apple cider next to a fire’s glow.
Where can we slow down and enjoy these Christmas snapshots of long ago? Where can we mingle with others the old fashioned way, greeting them with glad tidings and well wishes? At the Candlelight Christmas at Locust Grove and the Country Christmas at Blackacre Nature Preserve.
Both Louisville treasures are hosting their own versions of an old fashioned family Christmas. Be greeted by smells of pine and cinnamon, where people talked to each other face to face, not through a screen. Slowly sip a warm, festive drink stirred together by hand, not propelled 90 miles an hour through a blender. Mingle, be merry, and share in the joy of the season with many activities planned at both events to take you back to a time when things were less hurried and appreciating those you love the most was more important than what gift you could score on sale at the local big box store.
The schedule and pricing for Locust Grove is:
Friday, December 7, 5:30pm-9pm and Saturday, December 8, 4pm-9pm
Event Details:
Tour Locust Grove by candlelight as the Clark and Croghan families prepare to greet 18th century guests. The home will be decorated with greenery and fruits, and the kitchen filled with the smells of desserts. Refreshments and children's crafts will also be offered. $6 adults, $3 children, or $18 maximum per household. Locust Grove is located at 561 Blankenbaker Lane; call 502-897-9845 for more information.
At Blackacre, the schedule is as follows:
Saturday, December 8, 2pm-5pm
Admission is free; all refreshments are $1.00. Attendees are encouraged to bring a batch of homemade cookies to share. Blackacre State Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead is located at 3200 Tucker Station Road; call 266-9802 for more information.
Photos Courtesy of Locust Grove and Blackacre Nature Preserve
