By Steven Hoffman
Staff Writer

There will be plenty of holiday splendor on full display when the Mount Harmon Yuletide Festival returns for its tenth year on Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 3.

“The Yuletide Festival is a great way to get into the holiday spirit and celebrate colonial Yuletide traditions,” explained Paige Howard, the executive director of Mount Harmon Plantation. “The historic manor house is decorated with greens, wreaths, swags, centerpieces, and other decorative arrangements that are inspired by Colonial Williamburg.”

The Yuletide Festival, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, includes holiday fun for the entire family.

“There is a decorations and greens sale so you can get beautiful handmade, one of a kind arrangements to deck your halls,” Howard explained. “Plus, there are hearth-cooked holiday treats to sample in the colonial kitchen, including Wassail punch, ginger drops, and other holidays treats.”

Howard explained that the festival started in partnership with the Greenfingers Garden Club as a Yuletide Manor House Tour in 2008, but it has grown and expanded each year since to now include the decorations and greens sale, hearth cooking, colonial crafts, holiday gift shops, and more.

 The Greenfingers Garden Club makes the holiday decorations using greens from Mount Harmon’s grounds, including boxwood, magnolia, pine, holly, and other seasonal favorites.

Visitors to the festival will also be able to enjoy hearth-cooking demonstrations in the plantation kitchen, and a sampling of freshly made holiday treats and Mount Harmon’s special Wassail Punch. Children’s holiday craft-making is also a favorite activity for visitors.

Howard said that some of her personal favorite things about the Yuletide Festival include seeing what the Greenfingers Garden Club members create each year for their decorations.

“Each arrangement is handmade, one of a kind, and so beautifully and creatively done,” Howard said. “Every year the creations are different, and each year the Greenfingers out do themselves with ever more gorgeous decorations. I also love the hearth cooking in our colonial kitchen, and sampling the colonial treats from the hearth.”

The Friends of Mount Harmon group works with the Greenfingers Garden Club to co-host and organize the festival each year. Howard explained the collaboration.

“Sandy Simonson of Greenfingers Garden Club chairs and helped to found this event,” she said. “Sandy and the Greenfingers collect greens from Mount Harmon's grounds, including holly, box wood, magnolia, and yew, to create arrangements inspired by Colonial Williamsburg, all for sale to benefit Mount Harmon. Mount Harmon docents and volunteers are on hand to share Mount Harmon's history for the Yuletide Manor House tours. They also greet visitors in the colonial kitchen hearth, and visitor center, where families can enjoy colonial craft-making.”

 Proceeds from the festival benefit both the Mount Harmon Plantation and the Greenfingers Garden Club.

Mount Harmon Plantation in Earleville is one of Maryland’s most beautiful historic sites. It features a restored 18th century manor house, a colonial kitchen, a formal boxwood garden, an Education & Discovery Center, a tobacco prize house, 200 acres of pristine open space, nature trails, and a spectacular waterfront setting. Among its many programs, the plantation hosts guided manor house tours, self-guided nature tours, school field trips, special event series, special programs and lectures, bird-watching, hiking, picnicking, as well as weddings and receptions, community and private events.

The Yuletide Festival helps raise money for those activities, and it's a fun holiday event, too.

“The Mount Harmon Yuletide Festival is a favorite event of the holiday season and a great way to get into the holiday spirit,” Howard said. “Visitors of all ages enjoy experiencing colonial holiday traditions and our beautiful Yuletide Manor House Tour, hearth cooking in the colonial kitchen, Holiday craft-making in our visitor center, and shopping at Mount Harmon 's Decorations & Greens Sale and Gift Shops, great places to find that perfect gift.”

Tickets for the festival are $10 each, while tickets for the Friends Of Mount Harmon members are $5. Children 12 and under can enjoy the festival for free.

For tickets and more information about the Yuletide Festival, call Mount Harmon Plantation at 410-275-8819 or email at [email protected].

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email [email protected].