Troy Historic Village celebrates holiday season with events

TROY — Community members can enjoy historical holiday treats, crafts and entertainment at the Troy Historic Village, 60 W. Wattles Road, through the different events going on during the month of December.

Troy Historic Village features 11 different historic buildings that provide visitors of all ages the opportunity to explore Troy’s history during the 1800s. Visitors may enjoy a wide array of educational programs, lectures, events and activities.

During the holiday season, volunteers from the Troy Historical Society and Troy Garden Club have partnered to deck the halls of the Troy Historic Village with fresh greenery, Christmas trees and twinkling lights. The “Hanging of the Greens” has been a tradition for the Troy Garden Club since 1976.

“Member volunteers (19 this year) gather rain, snow or sun to decorate the tree, drape the roping and hang the wreaths and swags,” Co-chair of the Hanging of the Greens Committee Cindi O’Neil said in an email. 

“The actual ‘Hanging of the Greens’ takes about 2-3 hours. My guess is that the planning, making of the bows, purchasing and gathering of the greens and other supplies, and the embellishment of the wreaths and swags takes another 15-20 hours (the exact number of hours is difficult to determine as several members are involved and some of the tasks are performed individually).”

The fresh green roping and wreaths have been purchased locally from Telly’s Greenhouse and Garden Center and Kroger for the past three years. Some of the greenery pieces were also made from trees on a member’s family farm. The Christmas tree was donated to the Troy Historic Village, and the ornaments have been donated by the Troy Garden Club’s members.

“The decorations highlight a decorated tree in the gazebo, fresh green roping on the gazebo, Chapel, General Store, and Niles Barnard House,” O’Neil said in an email. 

“All the buildings are decorated with a wreath or swag. Members also design and assemble the planters located at the Chapel and the Main Office. ... Members embellish the purchased wreaths and member made swags with pine cones, holly berries, holly leaves and member made bows.”

In terms of the Village’s holiday events, Cocoa & Crafts with Santa was held on Dec. 7 and 8. Families could meet Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy making simple crafts, playing holiday games, and warming up with hot cocoa courtesy of Troy Garden Club. The event was sponsored by Genisys Credit Union.

Another event that guests can enjoy is Victorian Christmas. It will be open to visitors of all ages on Dec. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Reenactors from the living history group Bonnets and Crooked Hats will move into the Village for one weekend, living inside the historic homes as people would have done in the 1850s and 1860s. They will prepare meals, read and sew by candlelight, play games, decorate, and prepare for Christmas as many Americans did during the Victorian era. Guests are encouraged to chat with these reenactors to learn more about Christmas celebrations and life in the mid-19th century.

“Reenactors will be doing everything from decorating and wrapping gifts to playing games and singing carols,” Troy Historic Village Youth Programs Director and reenactor Alex Konieczny said in a press release. 

“We’re even planning on reading ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.’ The Victorian is a really cool era to talk about Christmas, because so many ‘classic’ Christmas traditions and decorations are from this era. We will be portraying 1865, the first Christmas after the Civil War has ended, so there’s another cool layer to this event.”

The theme of this year’s Victorian Christmas is “The Arts at Christmas,” and reenactors will be sharing their knowledge of literature, music, Currier and Ives, and other arts from the Victorian holiday season. Friday night will feature live music in the form of period-appropriate songs in the Village’s church, and families will also be able to make a pinprick card craft.

Stocking stuffers will be available for purchase in the Village’s general store, and hot drinks will be served. Small tour groups run every 15 minutes during the event.

Tickets are $10 for Troy Historical Society Members or $12 for nonmembers and can be purchased in advance online at TroyHistoricVillage.org or by calling (248) 524-3570. Tickets will also be sold at the door. 

For more information, visit TroyHistoricVillage.org.