Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

_ Over the past three decades, thousands of patrons have enjoyed the sights, sounds and wonders of the holidays at Lorenzo. And as in years past, hundreds of hours of preparation and decorating have been invested in the 2011 celebration of “Christmas at Lorenzo.” In celebration, The Friends of Lorenzo will kick off the holiday season with their annual “Mansion Preview Party” on Thursday, December 1 from 6-8 pm.

“The Friends are very excited about this year’s party. We’ll be offering sleigh rides to the Mansion, fabulous live music, and great hors d’oeuvres and wine. And we will also sponsor a special raffle for a complete holiday table setting for eight. Attendees will be encouraged, too, to place a silent auction bid on one of the giclees we have reproduced from the incredible Lorenzo fine art collection. The “Preview Party” will be a great way to ring in the season,” offered chairwoman, Dianna  Slodowitz.

For more information about attending the “Preview Party,” please call Diane Voss at 655-3200; admission is $20 for Friends of Lorenzo members and $25 for non-members.  Public hours for “Christmas at Lorenzo” will be from 7-9 pm on Friday, December 9, and from 1-4 pm on Saturday and Sunday, December 10 & 11.

_Here comes Santa---to The North Pole (the Palace Theater)---to meet with all the little boys and girls. He arrives at 3pm Saturday, December 3 at The Palace Theater and will stay until 6pm. Of course, Mrs. Claus, Frosty, Rudolph and Santa’s elves will be there as well.

“Santa and I have been talking for several weeks. The weather may be warm, but he’ll be here!” says Patricia von Mechow, Santa’s local elf.  “Of course, he’ll return December 24 to their homes with a toy bag filled with special surprises!”

The journey starts as Train Conductor Fred greets families and encourages children to ride the Curtis Express on their way to visit with Santa. More photo opportunities exist as the kids pose behind cut-outs of the Elf, Gingerbreadman, and Snowman. While waiting on line, families can create holiday crafts, view Mrs. Claus’ quilt, and play reindeer games. Mrs. Claus will help you sign her special quilt so they know who has visited. Then finally, visit with Santa in his workshop to share your wish list and get a candy cane (donated by Kinney Drugs). After seeing Santa, slide down the holiday slide into the snow pillows.

Jenni Larchar will sing holiday songs between 4-5pm while Santa stretches his legs and takes a quick stroll to see the children waiting on line. Delicious holiday cookies and hot chocolate are free (donations accepted). These tasty treats are donated by Price Chopper, Wayne’s Market and Dunkin’ Donuts.

It’s a magical moment so capture it forever! For only $5 the Hamilton Lion’s Club will snap a digital photo of your child with Santa, ready to take home in a decorative holiday card! They’ll also be selling tickets for their holiday basket raffle filled with wonderful gifts. All proceeds from the photos and raffle go toward helping the Lion’s serve the greater Hamilton community.

A special thanks to Curtis Lumber, Kinney Drugs, Price Chopper, Wayne’s Market, Dunkin Donuts, John Sherwood, Vernon Ross, Rich Pancoe (for donating trees), Lion’s Club, Colgate’s Konosioni Honor Society, and many volunteers!

The historic village of Cazenovia will once again set a beautiful backdrop for the annual tradition of Christmas at Lorenzo this weekend.  A favorite feature of the program,  Christmas by Candlelight,  will be presented this Friday evening from 7 – 9 pm, and the weekend holiday program will run through Saturday and Sunday, from 1-4 pm each afternoon.  Horse-drawn sleigh rides (weather dependent) by Lamplit Farms will be available throughout the three-day program, and round-trip rides to the Rippleton Schoolhouse will also be featured during Sunday hours when 19th C crafts, refreshments and live music will be presented in this c. 1814 setting.    
Friday evening’s Christmas by Candlelight will feature the Belle Aire Handbell Trio ringing in the holidays; the John Rohde Jazz Trio will delight visitors with American holiday standards on Saturday; and the Bells and Motley Consort will offer the sounds of a “Merry Olde Christmas” on Sunday. A modest admission price is charged for a holiday visit to Lorenzo. By advance reservation, groups of 12 or more will also be welcomed for guided tours during available weekdays throughout December.
For more information about Christmas at Lorenzo from December 10-12, or advance registration tours during December, please call (315) 655-3200 or visit www.lorenzoNY.org.

Rejoice in the season at the historic Earlville Opera House where you are invited to a Holiday Tea on Sunday December 19th from 2-4 p.m. in conjunction with our holiday sale. Decadent home-baked sweets will be served in the lovely Arts Cafe along with English tea or a spicy herbal brew. This year’s theme for the tea is an “Old Fashioned Country Christmas” for a warm and cozy respite from the season’s hustle and bustle.
The cost is $10 per person or $8 for members of the Earlville Opera House. Proceeds will support scholarships, artist fees and materials for the many music and art programs offered for youth at the Opera House including Circus Camp, Teen Acting and other workshops as well as free Family Series Events for young people and families. No reservations required.
Rosita Dickson painted the festive, original artwork to promote the Holiday Tea.  Prints will be on sale at the Opera House.
Bring your friends and enjoy shopping the 13th Annual Holiday Art Show and Sale featuring over 65 regional artists before you sit down to tea, served by our poised and smiling youth volunteers.
The Earlville Opera House is located in the heart of the village just off Route 12B between Hamilton and Sherburne. No reservations are required. The Arts Cafe is handicapped accessible.  Please visit www.earlvilleoperahouse.com for more information about the EOH season, to order tickets for this performance call (315) 691-3550.
Earlville Opera House events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and through the generosity of Earlville Opera House members.

The Madison County Historical Society’s Victorian Christmas Open House is December 12 from 1-4 pm at Cottage Lawn, headquarters of the society, on 435 Main Street, Oneida.  The public is invited to this free event to tour the beautifully decorated period rooms, sample holiday sweets, and delight in joyous Christmas Carols from area choirs.

Both Balloons and Blossoms and Oneida Floral and Gifts, of Oneida are  returning to decorate the period rooms at the society.  Lisa Marshall of Oneida Floral will address the holiday spirit in the south parlor while Denise Goodwin of Balloons and Blossoms will create a holiday scene in the dining room. Area garden clubs, Green Thumb of Oneida Castle will adorn the music parlor, and the Sherrill Garden Club will be adding some holiday embellishments to the children’s room. 

Holiday music has become an enjoyable tradition in the society’s music parlor. Joining us this year will be Oneida Civic Chorale Ensemble under the direction of Kim Nethway from 1:15-1:45.  From 2-2:30, Otto Shortell Middle School Choir under the direction of Roselle Lynch will continue to delight the crowd with Christmas Carol favorites.   Oneida High School’s Select Choir directed by Jeff Welcher from 2:45-3:15. The Durhamville 4th grade chorus under the direction of Stephanie Gwilt and the Juravich family string quartet of Durhamville will draw the afternoon to a close with their performances from 3:15-3:45.

Our holiday gift shop will have many Madison County Historical Society items for sale, such as local area history books, note cards, postcards, mugs, videos, and shirts. Come view the society’s new exhibit Education in Madison County: One-Room Schoolhouses, Academies, and Seminaries. Enter our raffle drawings for a holiday gift basket filled with craft items donated by craft vendors that participated at this year’s Craft Days. The society will also be holding the drawing for the cained chair that was donated by our very own craft vendor, Lisa Gardiner of  Chittenango. Tickets for the chair raffle are still available and will be sold during the open house.

Be our guest this holiday season and join us on Sunday, December 12 from 1 -4 pm at the Madison County Historical Society’s Annual Victorian Christmas Open House.  There is no admission to enjoy an afternoon filled with the holiday sights, sounds, and sweets for all!

 For more information, please contact the Madison County Historical Society at (315) 363-4136 or (315) 361-9735, or 435 Main Street, Oneida, NY 13421, email: history@mchs1900.org, or visit our website at www.mchs1900.org

The Earlville Opera House welcomes SLIDE (Ireland), hailing from Dublin,with theirlively Irish tunes on Sunday, December 12th to the Catherine Cummings Theater in Cazenovia at 4pm.  This warm holiday celebration has a distinct Celtic flavor featuring award-winning Irish Step Dancers from the Johnston School of Irish Dance.  The Earlville Opera House thanks the generous support of WAER-FM for making this performance possible.
Recently featured on the cover of Irish Music magazine, this five-piece band keeps traditional fans happy with sensitive whistle harmonies to driving, high-powered strings – and captivating lyrics that Irish Music Magazine calls “inventive and provocative.” “…They can sing, they can write, they can dance across fingerboards and piano keys, buttons and bows, and by crikey can they play.” Alex Monaghan, review 2003
The promise of this band was noticed when they won Best Newcomers Award in 2001. Slide currently holds the Music Network award.  The Irish Times calls SLIDE “traditional musicians with attitude”. Folk Roots Magazine proclaims, “There’s plenty of action and flamboyance in Slides’s music,” which merges “swagger with traditional expertise.”
The band includes Éamonn de Barra on flute, whistles, bodhrán, piano and harmonium, Aogán Lynch on concertina and whistle, Daire Bracken on fiddle, strings and guitar, Mick Broderick on bouzouki and mandolin and with singer and multi-instrumentalist, Dave Curley.  Take a listen on http://www.slide.ie/video.html.
Don’t miss an evening with these virtuoso musicians.   Slide Ireland brings theirhigh spirits and contagious energy to central New York on Sunday, December 12th at 4 p.m. only at the Catherine Cummings Theater (a.k.a. Cazenovia College Theater on Lincklaen Street in Cazenovia)and will benefit the Earlville Opera House.  Doors will open at 3:30 p.m.  Cazenovia Jewelry has tickets that are available in Cazenovia.  Tickets are $24 for adults and $16 for 18 and under.  To charge tickets by phone or for more information, please call the Earlville Opera House at (315) 691-3550. 
Earlville Opera House events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and through the generosity of Earlville Opera House members.

December 4th and 5th the Great Swamp Conservancy of Canastota will be holding their annual Christmas Tree Sale from 10-4pm each day.  White Spruce will be offered for a suggested donation of $25 each.  Bluebird boxes, wood duck boxes, and other Christmas gift items are also available.  This is a fundraiser to benefit the GSC.  You may preorder your tree by calling or email information below.  Stop in for a cup of hot cocoa, coffee, and cookies!!
A children's "Natural Christmas Ornament Workshop" will be held Dec. 4th for ages 5-13 at the Great Swamp Conservancy, 8375 N. Main St. Rd., Canastota from 10:30-12:30. Children will make 4 unique ornaments with the help of natural and recycled material as gifts for the birds and family.  Registration is required with a suggested donation of $8/child. Call to register by Dec. 2nd at 697-2950 or email:gscincny@centralny.twcbc.com.  Limit of 15 children for this workshop.

The holiday spirit and sounds of Christmas at Lorenzo will once again be filling the air in Cazenovia this year beginning on Friday, December 10 from 7-9 pm for Christmas by Candlelight, and run through Saturday and Sunday, December 11 and 12 from 1-4 pm each afternoon.  Horse-drawn sleigh rides (weather dependent) by Lamplit Farms will be available throughout the three-day program, and round-trip rides to the Rippleton Schoolhouse will also be featured during Sunday hours when 19th C crafts, refreshments and live music will be presented in this c. 1814 setting.    
With generous program support from The Friends of Lorenzo--and the artistry of volunteer decorators--the neoclassical mansion will be abounding in festive decorations throughout. And in the spirit of giving, more than 25 volunteer docents will be assisting staff with tours and Father Christmas will once again greet patrons and invite them to enjoy spirited refreshment and decorations. A favorite among visitors, wassail will be served in the kitchen each day, and an array of holiday sweets from local restaurants will also be offered. Another special feature of Christmas at Lorenzo this year will include the opportunity to purchase vintage-style photographs of patrons by Victorian Whispers during Saturday and Sunday hours. Proceeds from the sale of distinctive gifts and seasonal items from the Lorenzo gift shop will help to support future programs and projects at Lorenzo.
Friday evening’s Christmas by Candlelight will feature the Belle Aire Handbell Trio ringing in the holidays; the John Rohde Jazz Trio will delight visitors with American holiday standards on Saturday; and the Bells and Motley Consort will offer the sounds of a “Merry Olde Christmas” on Sunday. A modest admission price is charged for a holiday visit to Lorenzo. By advance reservation, groups of 12 or more will also be welcomed for guided tours during available weekdays. For more information about Christmas at Lorenzo from December 10-12, or advance registration tours during December, please call (315) 655-3200 or visit www.lorenzoNY.org

Santa travels south to visit Hamilton’s very own North Pole at 3pm Saturday, December 4 at The Palace Theater. This holiday event is free and open to all who believe!
“Santa called last week and he is ready to visit the boys and girls until 6pm.” says Patricia von Mechow, Santa’s local elf.  “Of course, he’ll return December 24!”
The North Pole (The Palace Theater) is a magical wonderland where young and old can visit with Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves. The journey starts as the Polar Express Train Conductor greets families as they arrive. Along the way families can create holiday crafts and play reindeer games. Mrs. Claus will help you sign her special quilt. After seeing Santa, slide down the holiday slide into the snow pillows. Enjoy delicious holiday cookies and hot chocolate. Meet Henry, the 4’ holiday cow and help it get fatter! Hamilton Center for the Arts will offer a fun holiday craft to take home.
It’s a magical moment so capture it forever! For only $5 the Hamilton Lion’s Club will snap a digital photo of your child with Santa, ready to take home in a decorative holiday card! They’ll also be selling tickets for their holiday basket raffle filled with wonderful gifts. All proceeds from the photos and raffle go toward Lion’s projects in the greater Hamilton community.
A special thanks to Kinney Drugs, Price Chopper and Wayne’s Market for candy canes, cookies and hot chocolate, Vernon Ross, Rich Pancoe for donating holiday trees, and many volunteers!
Continue the holiday tradition by attending live theater productions of Grandfather Frost (Dec. 5 @ 3pm) and HOLY COW, IT’S HERE…The Palace Holiday Show (Dec. 17 & 18 @ 7pm).  Visit www.palacetheater.org or call 824.1420. The “North Pole” (Palace Theater) is located at 19 Utica Street, in historic downtown Hamilton within easy walking distance of free parking, boutiques and casual dining. Happy Holidays one and all!