HOLLY JOLLY HAPPENINGS IN OLDHAM COUNTY Community Light Ups Ring in the Season Visit Crestwood the weekend after Thanksgiving to kick off the season for Light Up The Maples on November 26th from 5 – 7 pm for this 3rd annual holiday ceremony! Enjoy caroling, cookies by Oldham County Tourism, cocoa, smore roasting, and the countdown to lighting the tree at 6 pm, after decorating festive holiday ornaments in the Deibel Barn, courtesy of Oldham County Public Library. FREE. As a precursor to Light Up La Grange, visit stations throughout the Oldham County History Center campus in La Grange on December 2nd from 9 – 11 am for A Morning with the Grinch where you will meet beloved characters from favorite holiday stories. $3 per person, or one new, unwrapped toy per person.
pend time in La Grange on December 2nd from 3 – 9 pm for the FREE 38th Annual Light Up La Grange. Get an early start! Breakfast with Santa will take place from 7-10 am at Hometown Pizza, with all the proceeds going to the La Grange Elementary School. Enjoy the Winter Market, local choirs and school bands, family fun activities, cookie decorating, crafts, food trucks, shopping, store front competition, Shop with a Trooper 5K Race starts at 3 pm, and countdown to the light up at 6 pm when Santa arrives. A special Candy Cane Making event will be held during Light Up La Grange from 3 – 6 pm at CityPlace Pavilion 1. Oldham County Economic Development is teaming up with The Springs at Oldham Reserve to sponsor this special event featuring Just Be Claus Candy Cane Co. Make your own Christmas candy cane with a simple donation of $1 for the Oldham County Red Cross. Join in the fun at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve for the 18th annual Nature of Christmas in Goshen on December 2nd from 12 - 3 pm. This FREE festive afternoon will feature free food, booths, silent auction, pictures with Santa & Mrs. Claus, hot cocoa and more!
Designer Home Tours & Holiday Teas The annual Crestwood Civic Club Holiday Home Tour & Lunch will take place on November 18th from 10 am - 2:30 pm with lunch seatings at 11am, 12 pm, or 12:45 pm. Tour includes three beautifully decorated distinctive homes in the area including The Inn at Spring Run Farm B&B. Ticket price includes tour and lunch. $26 per person. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will open the doors of the TRF Sanctuary at Chestnut Hall for a Holiday Designer Show House to benefit the organization’s herd of nearly 425 retired racehorses. The historic farmhouse will be grandly decorated inside and out with exquisite décor on December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and December 8th, 9th, and 10th from 3 pm-8 pm. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door per person.
Get ready to immerse yourself in the spirit of the season with the annual Holiday Tea at Hermitage Farm on December 2nd & 3rd, 9th & 10th, and 14th – 17th, from 12 – 4 pm. Held in the historic main house, visitors can choose between two enchanting sessions at 12 pm and 4 pm each day. You’ll be serenaded by live holiday music, indulge in a delightful assortment of savory and sweet bites, and savor our handcrafted herbal teas that will warm your soul. $65 per person. Shop the Markets Jolly Jingles Market & Christmas Confections will be a one-stop destination for all things holiday shopping this season on November 18th from 10 – 4pm. Held at CityPlace in La Grange, over 30 small businesses and crafters from the Tri-State area will be set up offering unique gift ideas and festive items that will bring cheer to every shoppers holiday celebration. By bringing a canned good item or making a donation for Highpoint Food Pantry, you will be entered into a door prize drawing for your donation. The 8th annual Winter in Kentucky at Gallery 104 is a distinctive holiday boutique held November 21st – January 6th, 2024 at Gallery 104. The gallery is a non-profit art gallery run by the Arts Association of Oldham County featuring local and regional artists’ work. This is an excellent opportunity to find original art for holiday gifts at reasonable prices created by AAOC artists represented in Gallery 104. The Gallery, as well as other shops and businesses, will have extended hours for Light Up La Grange. FREE admission. Join 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens for the 2023 Christmas Market! This Market is two weekends of a mixed market of local artisans displaying unique gifts and handcrafted items to spread the holiday spirit. Holiday music will be playing and tasty treats will be available for purchase from the Backside Grill. Weekend One: Dec. 1st (4 pm – 9 pm) & Dec. 2nd (2 pm – 9 pm). Weekend Two: Dec. 8th (4 pm – 9 pm) and Dec. 9th (2 pm – 9 pm). FREE admission/cost for food and drinks.
Craft Your Own Holiday Magic Rather create your own gift or holiday décor? Join Oldham County Parks & Rec for a fun creative class at the John Black Community Center at Wendell Moore Park to make Holiday Craft Door Signs on December 3rd from 5 – 7 pm. $45 per person. Try your hand at making a custom holiday wreath with fresh greens and décor items Holiday Wreath Making Workshop at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens on December 2nd from 10 am – 12 pm, December 9th from 10 am – 12 pm and 2 – 4 pm, and on December 9th from 10 am – 12 pm and 2 – 4 pm. Workshops fill up quickly! $75 - $85 per person. Don’t skip the treats! Join staff at the Oldham County Extension office for a class on Christmas Morning Magic on December 5th from 10 am – 12 pm. Learn how to make delicious cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast. Space is limited. $15 per person/Registration required. Find the Spirit of the Season on the Big Screen & Stage If you are looking for a great holiday event to enjoy with your family, visit the Sauerbeck Family Drive-In for a showing of one of the best Christmas movies of all times! The Polar Express Experience will take families on a journey to the North Pole! Show times are November 24th and 25th, and December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23 from 6 – 8:30 pm. Drive-Thru Treat Stations and at 6 pm Santa and Mrs. Claus will read “Twas The Night Before Christmas”, followed by movie. Pricing is per carload of up to 6 people. Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot (or Holmes for the Holidays) is a play with breathtaking mystery and high hilarity in equal parts! Broadway star William Gillette has invited his fellow cast-members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. When one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Evening performances on December 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 from 7:30- 10 pm. Matinee performances at The Little Colonel Playhouse on December 3rd & 10th from 2 - 5 pm. Tickets: Adults – $19/Seniors/Students – $17.
Take a journey through Bethlehem to experience the Christmas story during the Living Nativity at Ballardsville Baptist Church on December 9th from 6 – 8 p.m. Drive through a living nativity guided by Roman soldiers. You’ll see the familiar wise men, shepherds, a choir singing, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and even a real camel! Cookies and hot chocolate served upon departure. FREE. Where do all the good boys and girls come from? Find out in Help Santa Get Home on December 16th and 17th from 2 – 5 pm at The Little Colonel Playhouse. The North Pole is working overtime and still can’t keep up. Can Santa get gifts to all the children on Christmas Eve night? Come see how Santa and the elves work to solve problems, and you can help Santa with his magic when he gets in trouble! Rated G. Tickets $12 per person. Visit the La Grange Community Center for a FREE showing of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for Christmas Movie Night on December 22nd from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Bring a blanket or sit at one of our tables in the gym. Refreshments available at the concession stand.
Fun with Santa Find Santa at YULETIDE at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens! This annual favorite returns with a focus on traditional family fun with a whimsical train village, sparkling lights and décor, Holiday Trees, food and beverages, crafts, and of course, Santa! Yuletide runs every Friday and Saturday, November 25th - December 16th with two times each evening: 5 - 7 pm and 7 – 9 pm. All programs and events are rain or shine. FREE - $12. Breakfast with Santa, sponsored by Oldham County Parks & Rec, will take place on December 9th from 9 - 11 am at the John W. Black Community Center at Wendell Moore Park. Included will be a Meet & Greet with Santa (1 FREE photo per child), Holiday Crafts and Games, Make Your Own Candy Cane (with Just Be Clause), and Holiday selfie photo areas. Pancakes and orange juice served. FREE, but requested that attendees bring a new toy for TOYS-FOR-TOTS. For more information about these events and additional holiday happenings in Oldham County, visit TourOldhamKY.com.