For Immediate Release:
Nov. 27, 2024
Contact:
Marie Cheek
Community Relations Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums
www.chmuseums.org
803.909.7312 mcheek@chmuseums.org
A glimpse into the Christmas of 1780 —
Historic Brattonsville’s Christmas Candlelight Tours highlight how the holidays were celebrated in the Carolina Piedmont during the American Revolution
McCONNELLS, S.C. – This year’s Christmas Candlelight Tours at Historic Brattonsville illuminate how the people of the Carolina Piedmont celebrated the holiday season during the days of the American Revolution. Historically dressed interpreters guide guests on sitewide tours for a glimpse into the Christmas of 1780 through scripted scenarios. The holiday event is enriched with a brass band and fiddle music, fun make-and-take activities, and Father Christmas will be making his rounds. Unique gift shopping opportunities feature artisan vendors with traditional glass-blown goods, pottery, and sweetgrass baskets. Historic Brattonsville’s Gift Shop is well stocked with seasonal goodies and always accessible throughout the site’s general hours of operation. Concessions available for purchase. The one-weekend-only holiday event begins with a Culture & Heritage Museums member-exclusive on Dec.13, followed by time-ticketed tours on Dec. 14 and 15.
WHAT: Christmas Candlelight Tours
WHERE: Historic Brattonsville, 1444 Brattonsville Rd., McConnells, S.C. 29726
NOTE: Brattonsville’s site will be closed to the public until 3 p.m.
Brattonsville Road closed for public safety; please look for detour.
Special Event Admission: Tickets are limited; must be reserved in advance.
WHEN: Dec. 14 & 15 from 3 – 9 p.m. with timed-tours. [CHM Members Exclusive Event on Dec. 13]
WEBSITE: chmuseums.org
VISITORS SERVICES: 803.684.2327
IMAGE: Father Christmas makes his rounds at Historic Brattonsville during a previous Christmas Candlelight Tour. (Credit: Culture & Heritage Museums. For high resolution image contact mcheek@chmuseums.org)
About Historic Brattonsville :
Historic Brattonsville features historic houses and structures built over the course of three generations of the Bratton family and the enslaved community. Award-winning exhibits and programs tell York County’s unique history from the American Revolution to the Reconstruction Era. The site spreads over 800 acres and includes farmed land with heritage breed animals, a Revolutionary War battlefield with interpretive trail, and a nature preserve with miles of walking trails. Seasonal events, reenactments, and living history programs interpret what life was like in the Carolina Piedmont during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Historic Brattonsville is included in The Green Book of South Carolina – a travel guide to significant African American heritage and cultural destinations across the state.
About Culture & Heritage Museums :
Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums in York County: Historic Brattonsville in McConnells, the McCelvey Center, which includes the Historical Center, in York, and the Museum of York County and Main Street Children’s Museum in Rock Hill. CHM is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. According to AAM, accreditation is “the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field” and “signifies excellence and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies and to the museum-going public.”
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