11/26/2019
Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is offering a pair of holiday events this December. Proceeds from these fundraising events contribute directly to the operation and revitalization of Sonnenberg Gardens. Presale tickets for these events can be purchased from www.sonnenberg.org or by calling 585-394-4922. Tickets for both events are also available at the door.
December 7 & 8, Dickens Christmas, 12 – 6 pm
The first of these events is the Dickens Christmas event on December 7 and 8 from Noon – 6 pm. This event will feature old-fashioned holiday fun in the festively decorated Sonnenberg Mansion and grounds. There will be live entertainment including musical and dance performances as well as a reading of the Christmas classic, Twas the Night Before Christmas. See the website for a complete schedule of the entertainment throughout the weekend.
Horse drawn wagon rides will be available (1-5 pm, Saturday only) as well as being able to tour Sonnenberg’s Victorian mansion that has been decorated for the season. There will be scavenger hunts in the greenhouse and a light show on the South Lawn. Christmas card photo opportunities abound so be sure to bring your camera! Admission is $8 and under 5. Both presale tickets and tickets at the gate available. Family friendly refreshments as well as wine by the glass will be available for purchase. All funds raised directly support Sonnenberg Gardens.
Attendees are encouraged to share the holiday spirit with others by bringing non-perishable food items to donate to Canandaigua’s Gleaner’s Kitchen. Event sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets.
Website: https://www.sonnenberg.org/event/dickens-christmas/2019-12-08/
December 14, Christmas, 7 – 9 pm
Enjoy one of Christmas’ most beloved stories, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, performed in the Sonnenberg Mansion by Kim Tenreiro. Mr. Tenreiro gives a dramatic one-man performance of this holiday tale bringing to life over thirty characters during the live show. All proceeds from the performance will directly benefit Sonnenberg Gardens. The event is suggested for ages 13 and above. Tickets are $10/person and are available at the door or by presale.
Website: https://www.sonnenberg.org/event/christmas-carol/
Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is one of America’s longest surviving estates from the Victorian Era. The elegant Queen Anne-style mansion was built in 1887 in Canandaigua by New York City financier Frederick Ferris Thompson, and his wife, Mary Clark Thompson, as a summer home. Between 1901 and 1920, the widowed Mrs. Thompson and her staff created the nine formal gardens seen today. The grounds are open to the public from May 1 through October 31 each year. Sonnenberg is a non-profit organization dependent upon the support of members and sponsors and its dedicated corps of volunteers. For more information on the revival of the grand estate on the “sunny hill,” contact Marketing Director Kimberly Burkard or Executive Director David Hutchings at 585-394-4922.
