COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Join us for one of the region's best-loved holiday traditions, Candlelight Evening, to be held Saturday, December 11, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown.

During Candlelight Evening, the landscape of The Museum takes on a magical appearance, decorated in greenery and illuminated by thousands of candles. Visitors can ride through The Museum's grounds in wagons pulled by draft horses adorned with full sets of harness bells. Complimentary wassail, warmed in kettles over open fires, is served throughout the afternoon and evening. Caroling is scheduled throughout the event. Visit with Saint Nicholas at the Filer's Corners Schoolhouse from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. and again from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Members of the Congregation of the Christ Episcopal Church will present "A Living Nativity," with performances at 5:00, 5:20, 5:40 and 6:00 p.m. at the Morey Barn. (Seating is limited.)

An array of seasonal musical programs will take place at the Cornwallville Church, highlighted by the group Glad Tidings - featuring holiday music from centuries ago and even some recent favorites. Sandra Peevers, Erik House, and Jeane Bennett-O'Dea will entertain with a variety of instruments including fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, cittern, and concertina.Other performances include the Catskill Chamber Singers, the Catskill Choral Society Girls' Choir, and the Northern Comforts Men's Quartet. Ron Johnson will provide caroling in the More House and The Leatherstocking Brass will entertain at the South End of the Main Barn.

Children can take part in holiday arts and crafts activities at the Filer's Corners Schoolhouse from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. and The Empire State Carousel will be open for rides throughout the event.

Enjoy a tasty pulled-pork dinner along with a variety of sweets and hot beverages in the Louis C. Jones Center - located inside the Museum's Main Barn. Gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate will be served at the Williams Carriage House next to Bump Tavern.

Candlelight Evening visitors should dress warmly and wear boots. We would also like to encourage the use of our shuttle system for attending the event, as parking is very limited on the museum grounds. There will be free shuttle service from The Otesaga Hotel on Route 80; the Elementary School parking lot; the Red Trolley Lot located off Route 28 (Glen Ave.); the Yellow Trolley Lot, on Lake Road, Route 80, above the Fenimore Art Museum; Doubleday Parking Lot, and a pick up point near the entrance to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, to The Farmers' Museum throughout the evening.

Admission is $12 for adults; $10.50 for seniors; and $6.00 for children ages 7-12. Members and children under 6 years of age receive free admission.

Candlelight Evening is sponsored in part by NBT Bank, WKTV, Five Star Subaru, Haggerty Ace Hardware, Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, Cathedral Candle Company, Stewarts Shops, and MeadWestvaco. Candlelight Evening is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

A visit to the Museum this holiday season is not complete without a stop at The Farmers' Museum Store and Todd's General Store - where a large selection of handcrafted items from The Museum are available as well as other seasonal favorites.

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Candlelight Evening
Saturday, December 11, 2010

• 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Admission: $12 adults, $10.50 visitors age 65 & over, $6 children age 7-12, free for children 6 & under and members of the New York State Historical Association

A folder of images can be downloaded through this link:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/998761985/d9e62aa309823577e51fcb865937ffe5 .

About The Farmers' Museum
As one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, a late- nineteenth-century Country Fair featuring The Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers' Museum's outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region.