Around Town: Holiday happenings are on tap in the area for the coming weeks
This edition of Around Town is focused on holiday happenings, and there will be several to choose from following Thanksgiving.
Bullington Gardens 18th annual Holiday Craft and Greenery Sale set
Bullington Gardens, a horticultural education center and public gardens, will hold its 18th annual Holiday Craft and Greenery Sale from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 2-3, according to a press release.
Greenery and locally-grown holiday plants including cyclamen, amaryllis and poinsettia will be available. Wreaths and swags enhanced with botanicals gathered on the Bullington Garden grounds and created by volunteers will also be on sale.
The Holiday Craft Sale features nature-themed, handcrafted items including ornaments, textiles, botanical beauty products, honey from Bullington’s hives and holiday decor, including Bullington’s popular evergreen gnomes.
The Holiday Greenery Sale features premium, freshly-cut Fraser fir trees ranging in height from five to eight feet. These native trees come from the Western North Carolina mountains and are wrapped for protection during transport. Also available are premium garlands in a 25-foot length, plus unadorned 12-inch wreaths.
Bullington Gardens is a proud supporter of local veterans, and believes all service members should be honored for their sacrifice. In partnership with local veterans and volunteers, Bullington Gardens offers Veterans Wreaths. Donations to honor a fallen veteran provides a 12-inch wreath, decorated with a red bow, and placed on a gravesite at the State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain.
Bullington Gardens is located at 95 Upper Red Oak Trail in Hendersonville. For more information, visit www.bullingtongardens.org or call 828-698-6104.
Christmas Tours at Historic Johnson Farm
Historic Johnson Farm, located on Haywood Road across from Rugby Middle School, will be hosting a number of Christmas tours throughout December.
Candlelight Christmas tours will be held Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, according to a press release. Five tours will be offered each evening with the following start times: 5 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. Visitors will take part in a guided tour of the decorated 1880 farm house, visit with the Heritage Weavers and Fiber Artists, listen to live music by local students and partake in hot cocoa and cookies, the release said.
Reservations and advance payment are required for the Candlelight Christmas evenings as space is limited. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors (65 and over), and free for those under 5.
Additionally, during the weeks of Dec. 5-9 and Dec. 12-16, the farm will host daytime Christmas tours. Guided tours are at 10:30 a.m. each day. While drop-ins are allowed, those with reservations take priority, so visitors are asked to consider making a reservation. Guided daytime tours are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors (65 and over), and free for those under 5. Each day, the farm house will be open for self-guided tours from 1-3 p.m. Reservations are not needed for self-guided tours, and tickets cost $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors (65 and over), and free for those under 5.
The farmhouse was built by hand from 1876-1880. It is believed to be the oldest standing brick home in Henderson County. The Christmas tours are important for the non-profit foundation that operates a heritage education center as part of Henderson County Public Schools, the release said. Events like this provide a significant portion of the farm’s operating expenses and educational experiences.
The farm was a gift to the schoolchildren and the community by the late Vernon and Leander Johnson. It is owned by Henderson County Public Schools and is managed by an Executive Director and the Historic Johnson Farm Foundation, Inc. It was designated a NC Cultural Treasure.
For more information, call the farm foundation office at 828-891-6585 0r visit www.historicjohnsonfarm.org or www.facebook.com/HistoricJohnsonFarm or send an email to email jfarm@hcpsnc.org.
Fletcher Christmas in the Park set
The Town of Fletcher will kick off the holiday season with the Annual Christmas in the Park, which will be held from noon-4 p.m. Dec. 3 at Bill Moore Community Park. This event will include food trucks, live music, a vendor village, an ice skating rink, inflatable and Santa.
For more information go to www.fletchernc.org or The Town of Fletcher Facebook page, Fletcher Parks and Recreation.
Friends of Music Concert coming to St. John in the Wilderness
The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness will host a Friends of Music Concert, featuring flutist Kate Steinbeck at 4 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Parish Hall across the street from the church, according to a press release. Steinbeck will be joined by collaborative pianist Dewitt Tipton.
The public is invited to attend. Contributions will be accepted.
Steinbeck is the Artistic Director of Pan Harmonia, an Asheville-based organization committed to sharing chamber music with people of all ages and socioeconomic strata through accessible, inclusive performances of works by diverse composers, the release said.
St. John in the Wilderness is located at 1905 Greenville Highway in Flat Rock. For more information contact the church office at 828-693-9783 or visit wwwstjohnflatrock.org.
Advent Service of Lessons and Carols set for Nov. 26-27
The annual Advent Service of Lessons and Carols, considered one the parish’s signature choral experiences that draws attendees from across the area, will be held at 5 p.m. Nov. 26 and Nov. 27. Doors open at 4 p.m.
This year, following the earliest traditions of the service that originated in Cambridge, England, over a century ago, local officials representing areas of community life will read lessons at the Sunday service, according to a press release.
“This service is one of extraordinary beauty and transcendence, and it’s a real gift to the community offered by our choir and music director Brad Gee,” said the Rev. David Henson, rector of the parish. “By inviting leaders to participate for the first time in this extraordinary service, we hope to share this gift more broadly and for it to be a true celebration of the goodness of our community here in Hendersonville. We pray this symbolic joining of hands can serve as a shining example of unity in our deeply divided world.”
Mayor Barbara Volk, representing civic life, Rev. Karla Miller from First Congregational Church, representing local faith communities, and a representative of local schools will each read a lesson, as well as representatives from the parish’s leadership. The St. James Choir, led by Gee, will be singing carols and anthems of the Advent season, and they will be joined by instrumentalists on trumpet and flute as well as the bagpipes and drums.
While no tickets are required, contributions of any amount are welcomed to support of the music ministry of St. James. A donation of $10 per person is suggested.
'A Christmas Memory" to be presented
Truman Capote’s short story, "A Christmas Memory," will once again be performed as a one-man show by actor and theologian E.R. Haire, Jr. at The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness. Four shows will be held: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18.
The performances will be held in the Wilderness Room of the Parish House, across Rutledge Drive from the church building at 1895 Greenville Highway in Flat Rock.
This is the 20th year Dr. Haire has performed the story from Los Angeles to Edinburgh, Scotland with many stops in between.
"This story has become a big part of my life and I never really realized it until returning to perform it at home. It brings the story’s poignant message full circle,” said Dr. Haire.
The show is free to the public but seating is limited to 50 people per performance and RSVP is required. Sign up at www.stjohnflatrock.org. Face masks are optional.
Land O’ Sky Garden Club Christmas Bazaar set for Dec. 3
The annual Land O' Sky Garden Club's Christmas Bazaar will be for one day only this year and will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at J&D Produce, located at 221 S. Church St.
All gifts are handmade and made of original, natural materials, according to a press release. Items for sale include wreaths, fresh-wrapped greenery, Christmas aprons, vintage gift tags, yule logs, pine boughs, baked goods and jellies.
Proceeds benefit local horticultural scholarships, Veterans Healing Farm and other local organizations.
Local Alcoholics Anonymous group is available
The local Alcoholics Anonymous group, serving Henderson, Transylvania, Polk and Rutherford counties, is available for those in need. For more information call 828-254-8539 or go to NC71.org to find out local meeting times and locations.
More information is also available at AA.org or aancmco.org.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Around Town: Holiday happenings are on tap for the coming weeks
