Many Merry Holiday Events

 By Donna Marie Pocius

Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com

From open houses to trees lighting up and craft shows, Door County has a lot of celebrating going on around the holidays.

Sister Bay encourages travelers to "capture the spirit."  The village is hosting a tree lighting ceremony 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27 at Sister Bay Waterfront Park, (the corner of Mill Rd. and Hwy 42).  Events will include the arrival of Father Christmas, music, refreshments and lighting the tree, of course.  Afterward, the Sister Bay Caf� will host storytelling and singing with Father Christmas.

An arts and crafts show takes place throughout the day Nov. 27 and 28 at the Sister Bay Village Hall, and the streets will be lighted with luminaries. 

Another fun thing to do is tour homes that are all dolled up for the holidays. The Holiday Home Tour runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.  Five homes and one historic church are on this year's tour; the cost is $20 with proceeds benefiting the Northern Door Children's Center. 

Included is a house that really rocks. Called the "quarry house," this Fish Creek home, owned by Mitch and Mary Heinrichs, is actually built on the site of a former working quarry in Door County. In fact, as you tour the home, you'll see how the homeowners actually built the home's interior around the quarry. You'll walk on quarry flooring in one room. A dramatic focal point is a 35-feet-long portion of quarry wall inside the house.

Also on the tour are homes in Juddville, Baileys Harbor and the Calvary United Methodist Church in Egg Harbor.

You can continue touring decorated places in Sturgeon Bay, which hosts its Bed & Breakfast (B&B) Walk on Sunday, Dec. 6. Included is the Inn at Cedar Crossing, where innkeepers Steve and Kelly Hellmann welcome people to tour their historic inn, housed in an 1884 building. The brick building is located on historic Third Ave., once known as Cedar St.  It was a drugstore, tailor shop, soda fountain, shoe and clothing stores and dentist's office before becoming an inn in 1988.  

"I think the late 1800s aspect of the building is still important. It gives a certain character and distinctiveness that you don't find in recent architecture," Hellmann said.  "And part of being a B&B is letting people take a look because you are unique," he continued.

The B&B Walk is part of Sturgeon Bay's Christmas by the Bay activities, which actually begin Saturday, Dec. 5 with a holiday parade at 10 a.m.  The city used to have Santa appear at its Nov. 20-21 tree lighting weekend show, but people thought that was a tad early for Santa sightings, according to organizers. So now he parades down Michigan Avenue, Third Avenue and Jefferson Street on Dec. 5.   

Midsummer's Music Festival performs

"Twelve Days of Christmas" - With A Twist

By Donna Marie Pocius

Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com

December affords still more opportunities to hear performers of Midsummer's Music Festival in Door County.

The nonprofit arts organization, offering chamber music in unique Door County locations, has announced A Renaissance Christmas program. 

A unique interpretation of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," will be played Friday, Dec. 11 at Bjorklunden, Baileys Harbor; Saturday, Dec. 12 at Shepherd of the Bay, Ellison Bay; and Friday, Dec. 18 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim.

The program will feature performances by the Chicago Early Music Consort: Stephanie Sheffield, soprano; Gary Berkenstock, recorder, crumhorn, racket, shawn and dulcian; Joel Spears, lute and theorbo; and Phillip Serna, vielle, viola da gamba.   

As to that twist to the "Twelve Days of Christmas" theme, Berkenstock will share the actual cost of items in the song like five golden rings, seven swans a swimming, eight geese a laying and, well, you get the idea.

"Early signs point to another dramatic rise in the cost of 'seven swans a swimming,'" he said.  "As the highest priced item in the Christmas Price Index, the swans cost $5,600 last year, which was a 33% increase over 2007," he continued, adding that the performers will tie in the costs as each item is introduced in the song.

"I think the audience will love it. And it will help break up a very long song," Berkenstock said. 

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" celebrates the holiday season with imagery of gifts and dancing and music and was first printed in the 1780 children's book, "Mirth without Mischief."

The event at Bjorklunden includes wines and hors d'oeuvres, a holiday dinner by Alexander's, followed by desserts. MidSummer's Music Festival will host receptions following the concerts at the other venues. More information is at www.midsummersmusic.com.