Celebrate the Holidays in Shaker Village

Harrodsburg Holiday Planner
by Kathy Witt

Find your holiday happy place in Kentucky’s oldest town: Harrodsburg, KY. Founded in 1774, Harrodsburg is the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains, a Preserve America Community that has been named one of the “20 Best Small Towns to Visit” by Smithsonian Magazine. And with good reason. Harrodsburg is home to Kentucky’s oldest Southern country inn, its first all-inclusive golf resort and its largest National Historic Landmark.

The most wonderful time of the year

Catch one of the Illuminated Evenings during The Holidays @ Shaker Village at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, the third largest Shaker community in the United States between 1805 and 1910. These traditional Christmas evenings will take place on Saturdays, Dec. 1-22, from 5 to 8 p.m. each night.
For many years, the Shakers of Pleasant Hill celebrated Christmas by singing hymns, decorating their Christmas trees and donating to help those who were less fortunate. Today, the Village invites everyone to continue this special holiday tradition with their family and friends during Illuminated Evenings.

The Village will be filled with lively music and merriment, trimmed with fresh-cut greenery and aglow with twinkling lights – and just may conjure up those long-ago winter days with family and friends and filled with wonder, laughter and simple joys. Attend choir performances, sip hot chocolate beside the fire, ride the Jingle Bell Shuttle, enjoy a candlelit tour, make a craft in the Elf Shop – and feel the power of the season while gathering around the outdoor tree for the nightly lighting.

This year, thanks to the work of the Village’s preservation staff, all music performances will be in the newly reopened (and climate-controlled) 1820 Meeting House. Admission is $5. A donation of clothing or non-perishable food will be accepted for a local Harrodsburg shelter in place of admission. Find out more at www.facebook.com/events/1898943913459565.

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See more lights at the Christmas Lights of Bondville Display in the little town of Salvisa, not far from Shaker Village. The display features antique lights with a modern twist set to Christmas music on 93.7 FM radio. 5:30-10 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Plan your weekend getaway to include a holiday meal or afternoon tea at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill – including Children’s Tea Time with Mrs. Claus – along with jingle bell shuttle rides, holiday discounts in The Shops and Saturday workshops where you can make a special gift – hand-tied broom, holiday reed star or beeswax candle and soaps – for someone on your list.


PHOTOS      
The Holidays @ Shaker Village at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Photo: Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill