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Christmas in Virginia City
August 27, 2008
Editor@montanaliving.com
Throughout the holiday season, a visit to Virginia City is like stumbling upon the set of Christmas western. Evergreen boughs adorn assay offices that once handled gold fresh from the hills, a one horse open sleigh sits in the window of the Wells Fargo building, swaths of juniper, rosehips, and yarrow hang from an old barbershop where they once hanged men. The first territorial capitol building is awash in ribbons, wreaths, and lights. A thirty foot Christmas tree sparkles in the crisp December air. As I walk downtown, snow crunching underfoot, I feel like I should see Martha Stewart and Clint Eastwood discussing the next shot for their epic winters western.
The decorations are created and strung by the Virginia City Christmas Socials committee who four years ago created the Christmas Socials. A concept that, beyond the winterscape they create, includes shopping, dining, and social events throughout the holiday season.
Rikki Scott, one of the events founders, hoped to bring “some life and some fun” to town in the winter. “No one was seeing the magic of Virginia City in the winter,” notes Scott. “We have tried to create a spot for people who are looking for a genuine Christmas experience that goes beyond the mall.”
One trip through the shops and its apparent that even the most eclectic mall could not come close to offering the goods peddled in Virginia City. Ranks Mercantile not only has gold pans, a comprehensive collection of local and western history books for sale but handmade western and Victorian clothes representative of Virginia City’s heyday. A few steps down the wooden sidewalk, Alder Gulch Outfitters offers clothing with a hip western flair.
Across Warren street, Bob’s Place is loaded with Montana made pottery and will also host pottery throwing demonstrations by Kirk Belding throughout the season. Next door, the Variety Store does its best to have a bit of everything; antiques, toys, vintage jewelry, espresso. A few steps away, the City Bakery, along with delicious homemade baked goods, offers a selection of vintage kitchen wares and linens. At the Virginia City Forge and Tin Works a menagerie of handguilded items from mirrors to pot racks to fireplace tools are available.
With the amount of eclectic goods available in a few short blocks and with the stores themselves being housed in festively decorated buildings over a century old. It would be worth the trip for the shopping alone but the Christmas Socials go beyond the retail experience to offer a wide range of activities throughout the season.
Beginning the weekend of November 29th there will be events each weekend until the 22nd of December. The following are a few of the highlights for the upcoming season.
Saturday, November 30th will see a visit from Santa coinciding with a chili cook-off and the tree lighting ceremony. The following Friday, the annual old English Christmas feast will take place at the Stonehouse Inn. The next Saturday, The Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio, a nationally renowned group led by the breathtaking vocals of Fleming, will perform at the Elks Lodge. The final weekend will see the Celtic acoustic duo of Wilson & McKee, who will not only play their music but teach you the appropriate dances beforehand. Also every Sunday brunch is offered at the Bennett House which not only includes mouthwatering food but an historical Christmas reading by John Ellingsen.
Along with the shops that open for the Christmas season, the three Bed and Breakfasts, several restaurants and the Pioneer Bar make the Socials a refreshing winter weekend getaway, recalling a time when Christmas wasn’t just another display in the department store window but a celebration of the season.
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