With new additions like strolling carolers, Historic Holidays at Hallockville will offer free family entertainment while providing a glimpse of Christmas past on Sunday, Dec. 8, from 12 to 4 p.m.
This 28-acre preserved site in Riverhead will feature tours of homesteads decorated in a simple, organic style that reflects the holidays of bygone eras. The tours will be guided by docents dressed in period costumes for an authentic experience.
“It should be just a jolly good time,” said Executive Director Heather Johnson, who highlighted several new features of this year’s event. For the first time, family-friendly activities will include a traditional baking demonstration outdoors in a wood-fired hearth, with samples of sourdough bread offered to visitors.
Also new this year are outdoor activities inspired by the past, such as cornhole and a scavenger hunt. Regardless of the weather, guests will also be invited to play a 19th-century game, throwing cloth snowballs through a holiday wreath.
It’s not every day that residents can visit the homesteads, as they are generally reserved for special events and private tours. This holiday event gives the public free access to three of the site’s historic homes. The docent-led tours will focus on the 1765 homestead and the Cichanowicz home from the 1930s, each reflecting the holiday traditions of its time period.
At the Cichanowicz farmstead, once home to Polish immigrants, “There will be docents who will talk about the traditions of a Polish family in the 1930s for Christmas Eve,” Johnson said. She also anticipates a piano player performing period-appropriate holiday tunes.
The Trubisz House, which will serve as a welcome center, will feature a display of about 10 wooden dollhouses, each decorated for the season. "Some of them are very old," Johnson said.
Shoppers will also have the chance to take home fine folk art and crafts at the Country Parlor Holiday Folk Art & Gift Show. The show will run from 12 to 3:30 p.m. at the holiday-transformed historic Hudson House, coinciding with the holiday tours.
“The more we can offer activities for people of all ages, the more we get people engaged,” Johnson said, noting that Hallockville’s special events range from the Fleece and Fiber Festival, which focuses on crafts like spinning, to the country barn dance and spring tea.
Founded nearly 50 years ago, the Hallockville Museum Farm is dedicated to preserving North Fork farming traditions. Throughout the year, it hosts children's field trips and offers programs such as beekeeping, community gardening, and craft workshops, blending history with hands-on activities.
For more information on future events, visit https://hallockville.org.