Six holiday experiences to enjoy with the whole family
Bright, twinkling lights in every window. Gorgeously wrapped gifts tucked under creatively decorated trees. The scent of cinnamon and pine teasing you at every turn. Familiar songs about roasting chestnuts and jingling sleigh bells playing on every radio station. These are all things to look forward to and enjoy during this very special time of year. But, if you are looking for different ways to celebrate the holidays, here are a few unique experiences The 330 has to offer this winter season.
Experience Quail Hollow Manor
Quail Hollow Park’s 32nd Annual “Christmas at the Hollow” is an affordable, family-friendly holiday experience, offering three evenings of fun attractions for adults and children alike. Located in the heart of Hartville’s Quail Hollow Park, Quail Hollow Manor invites you to spend an evening with your family in this warm, inviting setting.
Built around 1838, Quail Hollow Manor House was later owned in 1929 by H.G. Stewart, the executor of the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad. The 48-room Manor House’s three floors are decorated each year by staff, as well as local businesses, giving each room a unique flair. During this three-night holiday celebration, the Manor House is full of laughter as children smile for the camera while meeting Santa and Mrs. Clause.
Outside of the main house, visitors can head to the carriage house to check out a spectacular Lego village display made by Sir Troy’s Toy Kingdom. Leaving the carriage house, follow the glowing luminaries to a cozy fire where marshmallows can be toasted. Bundled up against the cold, guests can enjoy a winter ride down the lane on a hay wagon before making a natural craft to take home with them.
Christmas at the Hollow takes place December 10 through 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost of this event is $3 per person, with treats and photos with Santa available for purchase. The Manor House is located at 13480 Congress Lake Avenue, in Hartville. For more information, please visit www.quailhollowpark.net/christmas-at-the-hollow.
Experience the Medina Fair Holiday Lights
Spending time in the car with your whole family can be a nightmare. Memories of long road trips that ended in tears flash before your eyes at the mere thought of climbing into the family vehicle again. Instead of taking the family on a road trip this holiday season, navigate your way to the Medina Fair Holiday Lights Drive Thru, where thousands of brightly colored lights will dazzle everyone in the car.
The Medina Fair Holiday Lights Drive Thru is in its 14th year, and with help from local businesses, and organizations, including 4H, Cub Scouts, and other youth and church groups, Medina County Fair Board puts together this annual holiday event for the entire community. Approximately 3,500 cars and tour buses visit the holiday lights each year to enjoy this mile-long drive of festive displays.
Adults and children can marvel at approximately 125 handmade familiar and traditional characters, including penguins, snowmen, nativity scenes, horses and sleighs and Santa’s tiny reindeer. You might even get lucky enough at the end of the tour to catch a glimpse of Santa himself waiting with a handful of candy canes, greeting families, and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
The Medina Fair Holiday Lights Drive Thru welcomes visitors through Sunday, December 27 at the Medina County Fairgrounds. The cost of this event is $7 per car, $15 per van and $50 per tour bus. The Medina County Fairgrounds is located at 710 W. Smith Road in Medina. For more information, please visit www.medina-fair.com.
Experience Sebring Mansion
If you are a hopeless romantic, a visit to Sebring Mansion Inn & Spa is a must, especially during the holidays when Fireside Lunches and Dinners are served.
The beautiful mansion was built in 1902 for Frank and Emma Sebring of the Sebring Pottery and Limoges China Companies. Crafted entirely of imported Italian materials, the Mansion reflects a time of rare decadence and stately grace. In 1996, Lynne Biery purchased the home and fully restored it to its original beauty, as well as transforming the home into the grand hotel and spa it is today.
Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a glass of champagne and hors d’oeuvres are served around the tall rotunda tree. Diners are also invited to tour the Mansion—featuring 16 decorated Christmas trees and a willow display in the conservatory—before sitting down to a delicious meal.
White glove dinner service awaits guests in the ballroom, as they are treated to a decadent feast. Because Sebring Mansion also operates as a hotel and spa, diners are welcome to reserve one of the nine luxurious guest rooms available in the hotel to make their get-away experience complete.
Fireside Lunches take place December 9 and January 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fireside Dinners take place December 19 and January 8, from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sebring Mansion Inn & Spa is located at 385 W. Ohio Avenue in Sebring. For more information or reservations, please call 330-938-0423.
Experience the Village of Zoar
The traditions of the small Village of Zoar reflect a simpler time when German settlers came to the area to make a home for themselves. In Zoar, the heritage and history of the area lives on.
Christmas in Zoar is an annual event celebrating the many traditions of the earlier settlers in the area. The historic museums in the village are set amongst private residences, creating a unique community and atmosphere, where costumed guides will detail holiday traditions from Zoar’s past.
During your visit, listen to carols sung by area high school students, enjoy a relaxing horse-drawn wagon ride through town, watch the candlelight service and the tree lighting ceremony. Take something home from the Zoar Store, which offers Zoar ornaments and holiday ginger cookies for purchase.
Of course, children won’t want to miss meeting Belsnickel, a folkloric German Christmas character similar to Saint Nikolaus, whose job is to see which child was naughty and which child was nice this year.
Christmas in Zoar takes place Saturday, December 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, December 6 from Noon to 5 p.m. The cost of this event is $8 per person; Children ages 12 and under are free. Other holiday tours of the historic Zoar Village are also available by appointment only, December 7-18. For more information, please visit www.historiczoarvillage.com.
Experience Hower House
The beautiful Hower House, on The University of Akron’s campus, is a restored Victorian mansion built by John Henry Hower and Susan Youngker Hower in 1871. The Hower family lived in the House for a century before graciously donating it and its contents to UA, on the condition that the house stay preserved. Hower House is now run by a small staff and a very dedicated group of volunteers, who like to call the House their “home away from home.”
Made up of community volunteers, the Holiday Committee decorates the mansion from top to bottom, adhering to a theme throughout the House. This year’s theme is “Colours of the Season,” and visitors are invited to take a self-guided tour of the beautiful rooms.
After touring the mansion, take a walk downstairs to The Cellar Door, Hower House’s gift shop. There are so many gifts to choose from that deciding on just one might prove a difficult task. Enjoy a complimentary cup of wassail while browsing through a collection of unique items.
Visitors are welcome to take self-guided holiday tours of Hower House’s “Colours of the Season” through Sunday, December 27. The cost of admission is $8 per adult, $2 per student and free for children ages 6 and under. Hower House Victorian Mansion is located at 60 Fir Hill in Akron. For more information, please visit www.howerhouse.org.
Experience Peninsula
If you are looking for an experience reminiscent of a Courier & Ives postcard, look no further than Peninsula. Candlelight walks, local shops selling their wares, carolers and the ceremonial lighting of a beautiful tree on the green will fill you with so much holiday spirit, you will feel as though you’ve landed in a favorite holiday movie.
Peninsula, a seaport of the Western Reserve, is full of rich, local history. Many of the original town buildings, including the G.A.R. Hall and the Bronson Church, have been preserved, thanks to the late Robert Lewis Hunker, founder of the Peninsula Foundation.
Each weekend in December promises a different themed holiday event. Beginning with a candlelight walk, events throughout the month include a visit from Santa’s reindeer, gift making with some very crafty elves and more. The Grinch will even make an appearance to accept donation of warm socks for underprivileged families, making his heart grow three sizes larger.
Peninsula’s Candlelight Walk and Christmas in Peninsula takes place from December 3 through 19. The Village of Peninsula is located on Main Street (State Route 303) in Peninsula. For more information, please visit www.explorepeninsula.com.