Holiday events, decorations to fill Reynolda historic district
Winston-Salem, N.C. (Oct. 8, 2019)—This holiday season, step back in time with a visit to the Reynolda historic district. The gardens, village, and house that comprise Reynolda, the country estate of R.J. and Katharine Reynolds, will be decorated for the season and offers a variety of experiences for the whole family.
Reynolda House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, presents a window into a grand moment of the city’s history, but never more so than during the holidays. Furnishings in the house are nearly 85 percent original, and together with a recreation of holiday decorations —multiple wreaths and ornamented Christmas trees, swags of garlands, and hand-stamped Christmas cards, all researched from the family archives — visitors will experience the Reynoldses’ own 1917 holiday.
Holiday experiences at Reynolda include an estate-wide holiday stroll, tours, shopping days, performances, overnight packages with Graylyn and interactive family activities. Tickets and information for all events are available at reynoldahouse.org/holidays.
Reynolda’s Estate-Wide Holiday Stroll
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2-8 p.m.
Museum, Gardens, and Village shops open until 8 p.m.
Free with Museum admission; admission to Gardens and Village free
Stroll the sidewalks, galleries, and gardens of Reynolda surrounded by beautiful decorations, carolers, and merriment at this annual kickoff to the holiday season. Take a carriage ride through the Village, see the 1917 bungalow after-hours, and escape to the greenhouses in Reynolda Gardens to see the orchid display. Plus, look for photo spots throughout Reynolda perfect for your own holiday cards.
From 2 to 6 p.m., warm your hands with hot chocolate and Christmas card-making at Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
At 3, 4, and 5 p.m. keep the warm and fuzzies going with caroling in the Museum’s Reception Hall. No musical experience required; just a love of the holidays!
From 5 to 8 p.m., don’t miss your opportunity to visit Santa, and then take a carriage ride through Reynolda Village. Enjoy the strolling carolers as you explore the charming shops and restaurants, which will be open for extended hours.
Museum activities are included with Museum admission. (Museum admission is free for Wake Forest University faculty, staff, and students.)
New! Through the Years: Christmas at Reynolda
Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Dec. 3, 10 and 17
$25; $20 Members. Advance purchase required.
Enjoy a specialized tour of the historic house with an emphasis on the holiday traditions of the Reynolds and Babcock families that lived here through archival photographs and stories. What better way to celebrate the season than with a festive glimpse of Reynolda’s Christmases past? Visitors will end their tour by learning about the holiday themes in “Leyendecker and the Golden Age of American Illustration.”
Wreath Decorating Classes
Tuesday, Dec. 3, and Thursday, Dec. 5, 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
$50 general admission, $35 for students, Wake Forest faculty & staff, and Friends of Reynolda Gardens. Registration is required by Dec. 1 at reynoldagardens.org.
Location: Dec. 3 at The Barn at Reynolda Village and Dec. 5 at Reynolda Gardens Education Wing
Create your own wreath to enjoy throughout the holidays! Each participant will receive a large, full, natural wreath to decorate. We will provide an assortment of natural items to adorn your wreath or you can bring your own decorations. Pruners and gloves are encouraged.
Caroling Fridays
Fridays, Dec. 6- 20, 3 p.m.
Free with Museum admission
Visitors are invited to gather around the historic Aeolian organ every Friday afternoon for singing with friends old and new. No reservations, or caroling experience, are needed.
Christmas 1917 Tours
Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7, Tours depart every half hour between 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Admission is $25 per person; children under the age of five are free. Advance purchase is required.
A specialized tour focused on the Reynolds family at Christmastime 1917, with costumed interpreters bringing to life historical figures who lived or worked on the estate. Also enjoy a demonstration of the original Aeolian organ playing Christmas music.
Carolina Brass Holiday Pops Concert
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m.
This fun-filled performance will feature seasonal favorites by the Carolina Brass. Tickets are $20, and advance purchase is encouraged.
“A Christmas Memory”
Sunday, Dec. 15, 4 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and include museum admission. Advance purchased is required.
In her original adaptation of “A Christmas Memory,” Robin Voiers portrays Truman Capote’s older cousin Sook in this moving story of Capote’s own humble childhood holiday traditions during the Great Depression. This long-standing Reynolda event is now in its 33rd consecutive year.
Family First: Holiday Tour and Card-marking Workshop
Sunday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m.
This annual workshop for children in grades 1-6 and an accompanying adult offers an opportunity to learn about holiday stories at Reynolda while making one-of-a-kind cards on the printing press and with the museum’s hand-carved stamps. Admission is $15 and includes materials. Advance purchased required. Limited spots are available.
Historic Holiday Travel Package with Graylyn—Reynolda House is partnering with the Graylyn Estate to offer overnight packages for the holiday season. In addition to beautiful accommodations, complimentary breakfast, a welcome gift, and numerous other amenities, the packages include admission to Reynolda House and a butler’s tour of Graylyn. The unrivaled hospitality also features Gray family traditions including Mrs. Gray’s butterscotch cookies upon check-in and 24-hour access to Mr. Gray’s ice cream room.
Extended Holiday Shopping Hours in the Museum Store – Dec. 5 until 7:30 p.m., Dec. 6 and 7 until 8 p.m., Dec. 10 until 7 p.m.
About Reynolda
Reynolda, in Winston-Salem, N.C., is a rare gem among the nation’s cultural institutions and historic greenspaces. The 51-year-old art museum at the center of Reynolda’s 180 acres, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, presents a renowned art collection in a historic and incomparable setting: the original 1917 interiors of the country manor of R. J. Reynolds. Spanning 250 years, the collection is an uncompromisingly selective one, a chronology of American art, with each artist represented by one work of major significance. Highlights are: Albert Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Frederic Edwin Church, Stuart Davis, Martin Johnson Heade, Alex Katz, Lee Krasner, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, John Singer Sargent and Grant Wood. The collection was assembled by the unerring eye of Barbara Babcock Millhouse, granddaughter of R. J. and Katharine Reynolds. The Reynolda experience includes a free app called Reynolda Revealed; touring exhibitions in the museum’s Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing; formal gardens, conservatory and walking trails of Reynolda Gardens; and more than 25 of the estate’s original buildings repurposed as shops and restaurants in Reynolda Village. Reynolda, located at 2250 Reynolda Road, is adjacent to Wake Forest University. For more information, please visit reynolda.org.
Connect at facebook.com/rhmaa and @CurateReynolda on Instagram.
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Media Contact
Kaci Baez
336.758.5524
kaci@reynolda.org