A Victorian Christmas Celebration Comes to Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY – (December 4, 2023) - Get ready for a merry yuletide season with a Victorian Christmas Celebration at Washington Irving's Sunnyside on December 16th, from 10am to 3pm.
A delightful experience for visitors of all ages, the festivities will feature holiday traditions from the 19th century, such as hands-on crafts like paper cones and ornaments, wassail and sipping chocolate to try, and tasty treats to sample. Irving’s cottage will be trimmed in holiday finery and families will find fun photo-ops on the grounds.
Historian Pamela McColl, author of Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, will be in the museum shop throughout the day signing copies of her book, which will be available for sale. At noon, she will lead a presentation and discussion about the famous Christmas poem, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
Visitors can upgrade their experience with the premium package, which includes a Washington Irving felt ornament and our brand-new candle, Olde Christmas.
A Victorian Christmas Celebration joins a full lineup of holiday events from Historic Hudson Valley, including Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’, which features master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, hands-on classes such as cake pop decorating class with the award-winning Patty Pops, a holiday tea party and more.
For more information and tickets, visit hudsonvalley.org/holiday
Details: Victorian Christmas
December 16, 10am-3pm at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
Capacity is limited for this one-day special event. General admission tickets are $35 and the premium admission tickets, which includes and ornament and candle, are $85. Buy four or more tickets and receive 15% off the order. Historic Hudson Valley members receive 15% discount on every ticket. Tickets should be purchased in advance at hudsonvalley.org.
Details: Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’
Performances take place at the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow on December 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 at 2:30, 3:45, 5pm.
Capacity is limited for Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’ and tickets should be purchased in advance at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-366-6900. Ticket prices are $47 for adults and $42 for children under 18. Historic Hudson Valley recommends the event for ages 10 and up. Members of Historic Hudson Valley receive a 15% per ticket discount.
Tickets are available at hudsonvalley.org.
Details: The Holiday Boutique at Philipsburg Manor
The shop is at the Philipsburg Manor Visitor Center, 381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, and is open Saturdays - Sundays from 10am - 6pm through December 17. The special events schedule is as follows:
• Saturday, December 9, 12-3pm: Holiday Tea Party
Get in the holiday spirit as you sip Harney & Son’s Holiday Tea and indulge on sweet treats in our greenhouse, which will be all decked out for the season!
Tickets: $20
• Saturday, December 16, 12-3pm: Cake Pop Decorating
Join us for this hands-on class with renowned local baker, Patty Pops, and learn how to make three different festive designs.
Tickets: $35
Tickets are available at hudsonvalley.org/holiday
Details: The Holiday Boutique at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
The shop is at the Washington Irving’s Sunnyside Visitor Center, 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Tarrytown, and is open Saturdays - Sundays from 10am - 6pm through December 17. The special events schedule is as follows:
• Saturday, December 2, 1-2pm: Hot Cocoa and Cider Bar
Stay toasty with this hot drink bar, complete with all the mix-ins!
While supplies last, $5.
• Saturday, December 9, 1-3pm: Make Your Own Pomander
Learn how to craft this traditional holiday decoration and enjoy the delicious fragrance all through your home all winter long.
Tickets: $10
Tickets are available at hudsonvalley.org/holiday
Details: Winter Tours of Philipsburg Manor
In 1750, Philipsburg Manor was home to 23 enslaved individuals known to have lived and labored there. It is the country’s first living history museum to focus on the history of northern slavery.
The site will be open for guided tours Saturday-Sunday, December 2-December 17. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and young adults, and $10 for children. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley Members. Admission is by timed ticket only.
Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., two miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Tickets are available at hudsonvalley.org
Details: Winter Tours of Union Church of Pocantico Hills
Union Church was organized as a non-denominational Protestant church in 1915, with John D. Rockefeller among the founders. Over the years, the Rockefeller family commissioned stained-glasses windows by European masters Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall to adorn the unassuming country church.
The site will be open for guided tours Saturday-Sunday, December 2-December 17. Tickets are $10. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley Members. Admission is by timed ticket only.
Union Church of Pocantico Hills is at 555 Bedford Road, Tarrytown.
Tickets are available at hudsonvalley.org
Details: Winter Tours of Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
America’s “Founding Father of Literature” and inventor of many Christmas traditions created this romantic, picturesque estate nestled along the Hudson riverbank. The house and the furnishings, many of which are original to Irving, have been restored to their 1850s character.
The site will be open for guided tours Saturday-Sunday, December 2-December 17. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and young adults, and $10 for children. Tours are free for Historic Hudson Valley members. Admission is by timed ticket only.
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside is at 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington, one mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge.
About Historic Hudson Valley
Historic Hudson Valley, Westchester County’s largest cultural organization, educates and entertains more than hundreds of thousands of visitors a year through school programs, tours of five National Historic Landmarks, and large-scale events like The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.
From its lower Hudson Valley base of operations, the organization focuses on delivering quality educational and entertaining experiences, striking a balance between tradition and vision, from preserving the past, to contextualizing it for 21st-century audiences.
Historic Hudson Valley operates tours and public programming at Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, Philipsburg Manor, Union Church of Pocantico Hills, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, and Van Cortlandt Manor. These sites help us make meaning for visitors in a variety of settings, including traditional house and landscape tours, formal educational programs for school children, popular on-site special events, and digital media.
Karen Clark
Director of Marketing
t: 914-366-6951
639 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
Historic Hudson Valley
