The holiday season will be celebrated with Victorian Christmas at Penobscot Marine Museum this year on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th. The ship captain’s house will be open to the public with each room decorated for a Victorian Christmas by community groups and businesses, including the Congregational Church Women’s Fellowship Group, Searsport Historical Society, Searsport Beautification Committee, Blue Jacket Shipcrafters, Bangor Savings Bank and Searsport Antique Mall. There will be refreshments, music performed by boatbuilder Ralph Stanley and his fiddle group, and volunteers from Searsport’s Carver Library will be reading from 19th Christmas favorites.
On Friday night the Museum Store will host a “Meet the Maine Authors” party in celebration of the annual Town of Searsport Tree Lighting party on Crescent. The museum’s annual gingerbread competition “Maritime Christmas Gingerbread By the Sea” will be on display and refreshments will be served.
Searsport Christmas Extravaganza!
Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th
Admission free unless otherwise indicated
Friday, December 4
5:30 pm – Town of Searsport Tree Lighting on the Crescent
10 am to 7 pm – Grasshopper Shop Customer Appreciation Open House
• Storewide 20% discount
• Refreshments
4 pm to 6 pm – Open House at Penobscot Marine Museum’s Fowler-True-Ross Sea Captain’s House
Rooms beautifully decorated for a Victorian Christmas by community groups and businesses:
• Bangor Savings Bank
• Blue Jacket Shipcrafters
• Congregational Church Women’s Fellowship Group
• Friendship Quilting group
• Nautical Scribe Books
• Searsport Antique Mall
• Searsport Beautification Committee
• Searsport Historical Society
4 pm to 6 pm – Meet the Authors at Penobscot Marine Museum Store
Meet Maine Authors:
• Ardeana Hamlin, Abbott’s Reach, The Havener Sisters
• Douglas Coffin, One Maine Christmas Eve
• Mac Smith, Mainers on the Titanic
• Mark Scott Ricketts, A Flatlander’s Guide to Maine, Adventures in Vacationland
• Mark Warner, The Tragedy of the Royal Tar
• Russ Cox (illustrator), Merry Moosey Christmas
• Christmas Gingerbread display
• “White Christmas” dress on display
• Refreshments
4 pm to 6 pm – Tours of First Congregational Church
• Historical tours of this 19th century church with gorgeous stained glass windows
• Refreshments served in Fellowship Hall
7 pm – Variety Show at Union Hall at Searsport Town Office
• Holiday Season Variety Show to benefit the stained glass window restoration fund for First Congregational Church. Something for everyone of all ages – Songs, Stories, Music and a whole lot of fun! Adults $8, Kids 12 and under $4. Refreshments for sale.
Saturday, December 5
10 am to 4 pm – Open House at Penobscot Marine Museum’s Fowler-True-Ross Sea Captain’s House (Searsport Historic Society House Tour),
10 am to noon – Live music: Ralph Stanley and his fiddle group
2 pm to 3 pm – Live music: ensemble from the Pen Bay Singers
1 pm and 3 pm – Christmas readings from 19th century Christmas favorites Read by Katie Hessler, Librarian Carver Library
10 am to 4 pm – Holiday Displays at Penobscot Marine Museum Store
• Christmas Gingerbread display
• “White Christmas” dress on display
10 am to 4 pm – Tours of First Congregational Church
• Historical tours of this 19th century church with gorgeous stained glass windows
• Refreshments served in Fellowship Hall
1 pm to 4 pm – Searsport Historical Society House Tour
Tickets are $10, and are for sale now at Searsport Antique Mall and on the day of the tour at Searsport Historical Society’s Coleman House
• Beautifully decorated for Christmas, the homes are: Dawn & Keith Ritchie’s house, Suzanne & Joel Ploszaj’s house, Lin Calista & George Kerper’s house, Janet William’s house, Marie Underwood’s house, Kendra & Bruce Probert’s house and the Fowler-True-Ross house at the Penobscot Marine Museum.
• Refreshments served at Searsport Historical Society’s Coleman House
• Decorated Penobscot #1 Fire Truck in the barn doorway of Coleman House
10 am to 1 pm – Carver Memorial Library Gift Book Sale
Rare and first edition books on sale to support the Library
Carver Memorial Library, 12 Union Street
2 pm – Christmas Concert at Searsport District High School
Tempo, The Eastern Maine Pops Orchestra Christmas Cheer Concerts, traditional and modern arrangement of carols.