CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM
Two Days Only!
Friday, December 6, 2024
Saturday, December 7, 2024
3:00pm to 8:00pm Daily
Renfrew Museum and Park
1010 E. Main Street
Waynesboro, PA 17268
Admission Rates
Includes Tours, Wagon Rides, Live Music, Crafts and More!
$15.00 per person
Children, Ages 3-12: $10.00
Children under 2 & Under: Free
Renfrew Members: Free
Current Renfrew members and their guests may attend one or both nights free of charge! Number of free admissions is based on membership level.
Not a member yet? Join now!
Admission may be purchased in advance or at the gate. Cash or credit card only. No checks.
No physical tickets will be issued. Day-of attendees may pay at the Welcome Tent or Visitors Center. Members and pre-registered guests, please check in upon arrival to receive your wristbands for entry.
Purchase Advance Admission Now!
Please select your date and admission rate(s) from the dropdown menu below.
Cultivate Inspiration This Holiday Season!
Rediscover the simple joys of Christmas past at Renfrew Museum and Park this holiday season! “Cultivate Inspiration” through over 200 years of celebration at our annual Christmas on the Farm event. Follow the soft glow of flickering lanterns and the fiery blaze of torches to the beautifully decorated Museum House where you’ll encounter how treasured traditions evolved over the centuries.
Explore some of our historic outbuildings where period-attired interpreters will share even more holiday cheer! Enjoy a cozy warming circle while you wait to take a horse-drawn wagon ride down Fahnestock Lane or enjoy a goodie or warm beverage from one of our vendors. Step out of the chill into the festive atmosphere inside our Visitors Center where even more family fun awaits. Peruse our gallery, then browse Renfrew’s museum shop and Christkindlmarkt for that special gift. Your ticket also includes live music, crafts, and more! We invite you to join us at Renfrew this December for an unforgettable holiday experience and make memories that will last a lifetime at Christmas on the Farm.
Wristbands required to enter. Please report to either the Welcome Tent or Visitors Center upon arrival. This event will be held rain or shine, and is designed to be indoor-outdoor with limited occupancy permitted within buildings. There’s plenty of room to spread out at multiple locations on the farmstead and maintain physical distancing. Guests are encouraged to stagger their arrival and may enter at any point during the scheduled event time on their chosen date. A period of about two hours is recommended to fully enjoy all planned activities.
Parking
Free parking is located in either the Visitors Center Lot, located adjacent to the big green and white barn off of PA-16/Buchanan Trail/Main Street OR in the Lower Lot, located off of Welty Road accessed by a drive beside the Washington Township Police Station.
Arrival & Event Check-In
Enter the event at either the white Welcome Tent, located on the path in front of the Museum House, or at the Visitors Center.
Day-of admission may be purchased at the gate during event hours. Cash or credit card only. No checks.
Members and Pre-registered Guests: Please check in at the Welcome Tent or Visitors Center upon arrival to receive your wristbands. Your PayPal receipt is confirmation of your reservation. We recommend bringing a copy with you to the event.
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Event Map Coming Soon!
Historic Demonstrations & Activities
Guided Tours: Visit the first floor of the 1812 Royer House beautifully decorated in historic style for the holidays! You’ll encounter period-attired interpreters who will share how our treasured holiday traditions in America evolved over the centuries. Wristband required. First floor only. No food or drink. Photos permitted – no flash, no video. Group sizes will be limited to parties of ten (10) or less at a time. Tour lasts about 20-25 minutes.
Historic Gift-Making Demonstrations: Just like today, handmade presents were truly a gift from the heart. Stop inside the Visitors Center to watch our interpreters as they explain the process of recreating period gift items by hand.
Visits from the Belsnickel: Keep a look out for Belsnickel, or “Nicholas in Furs”, that beloved folk figure of Pennsylvania Dutch lore who rewards good children treats and naughty children with switches. Be on your best behavior – you’ll never know when he’ll appear!
Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides: Hop aboard and join the Lindsay-Carbaugh Family for a leisurely ride up and down Fahnestock Lane by lantern light. Listen to the clip-clop of Belgian draft horse hooves as you cozy up to loved ones in the brisk December air. Wristband required. No food or drink. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Live Music: Enjoy the melodious sounds of traditional holiday music as you stroll the farmstead with live 30-minute performances by violinist Scott Matlock from the second floor porch of the Museum House. Sets begin at the top of the hour daily at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 & 7:00pm. *Note: Recorded traditional instrumental songs will be played during all other times.
Scrap Art Ornaments: Victorians invented an inexpensive way to make beautiful holiday décor using bits and scraps they had on hand. Create your own version of historic scrap art ornaments using reproduction lithograph die-cuts, paper doilies, construction paper, and metallic pipe cleaners. Available while supplies last.
Special Artifact Displays: Enjoy a closer look at several objects in Renfrew’s museum collections not normally on exhibit including antique children’s toys and games, Nicodemus family holiday decorations, tableware, and more.
Historic Hearth Cooking: Visit Renfrew’s 1814 Summer Kitchen to learn about traditional Pennsylvania German holiday fare and watch as our domestic life historians bake historic recipes over the open hearth.
Orange Pomanders: Try your hand at creating these old-fashioned, sweet-smelling holiday decorations using the simplest of ingredients: fresh citrus and whole cloves. Available while supplies last.
Refreshments & Shopping
Food & Beverage Options: Vendors still TBD. Pick up something tasty to enjoy at the event or to take home! Visit the Renfrew Cocoa Shack for a plain or gourmet hot chocolate (more info to come). Cold beverages also for sale in the Renfrew Museum Shop.
Christkindlmarkt: Stop by our Visitors Center, both inside and outside, for Renfrew’s mini version of a traditional German holiday market with vendors offering handmade artisan goods, vintage Christmas decorations, antiques, tasty treats, and more. You never know what you’ll find!
Renfrew Museum Gift Shop: Peruse our selection of unique merchandise and find the perfect gift for that special someone – or yourself! Browse books, home goods, historic toys, holiday décor, apparel, pottery, handmade items, and more. Each purchase supports our mission.
Christkindlmarkt Vendors
Be sure to visit Renfrew’s Christkindlmarkt to find tasty treats and holiday gifts! Look for vendors both inside and outside the Visitors Center.
Delaney’s Delicacies is back to the farmstead on both Friday and Saturday! Satisfy your sweet tooth with delicious homemade baked goods. Choose from amazing biscotti, festive holiday bark, delicious macarons, cupcakes, and more. Enjoy yourself or give as holiday gifts!
Vintage Christmas by Michelle of Gettysburg, PA returns to the Wagon Shed Room on both nights with a whimsical assortment of authentic antiques, holiday décor, and a bit of mid-century Christmas kitsch. You’re sure to find something unique!
Breanne M. Lamb BEADWORK of Fairfield, PA returns to the Wagon Shed Room! A self-taught beadwork artist she will share a handcrafted selection of beaded items inspired by nature, art, and history. Choose from faithful reproductions of bygone eras or one-of-a kind creations.
Seeking Event Donors & Sponsors!
Join our growing list of generous supporters! Help Renfrew present this year’s Christmas on the Farm event. Select the avenue of support that’s right for you – donation or sponsorship. Details below.
2024 Event Donors
Monetary donations in support of Renfrew’s Christmas on the Farm event are fully tax-deductible. Donors receive no goods or services in exchange for their gift.
$2,500.00
2024 Event Sponsors
Purchase a sponsorship to enjoy special benefits including event admission, annual membership, advertising, and more! A portion of each sponsorship, less the value of goods and services received, is tax-deductible.
Belsnickel - $1000
Schneeflocke (Snowflake) - $500
Tannenbaum - $250
Zuckerstange (Candy Cane) - $100
John & Elizabeth Lynch
More to Make You Merry!
Invite the spirit of Christmas Past into your heart with a sampling of nineteenth holiday literature specially selected by Renfrew’s curatorial staff.
Click the images below to read these beloved favorites online!
The Stranger’s Gift: A Christmas and New Year’s Present (1836), a story about how Germans introduced the Christmas Tree to America.
A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens’ classic fable of the cruel and miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s last chance at redemption.
Old Christmas (1876), Washington Irving’s nostalgic literary sketchbook of traditional holiday vignettes from the Old World and Early America.
The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In (1844), Charles Dickens’ second supernatural Christmas morality novella about the pauper Toby Veck considering his daughter Meg’s two potential fates .