Christmas has been a fixture at O’Keefe Ranch since its earliest days over 150 years ago, and Victorian Christmas—an annual family favorite—returns to the Ranch this December.
Guests will be welcomed into the beautiful O’Keefe Mansion to enjoy the musical stylings of Brandon Schmor and to meet Santa Claus. A short stroll down the boardwalk will bring visitors to the General Store where they can enjoy baked goods and hot drinks. The Ranch’s heritage buildings will be decorated in the spirit of the season, and guests can also enjoy caroling, roasted chestnuts, and Christmas crafts.
“Christmas would have been an important time for pioneer families like the O’Keefes,” says Ranch curator, Carla-Jean Stokes. “Even as Cornelius O’Keefe’s children grew up and moved across North America, they sent postcards home to their younger siblings at Christmas. Today they’re preserved in our archives.”
The Ranch is closed for the regular season, but it will open its doors for Victorian Christmas, a family friendly event, on Saturday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 9 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The cost to attend is $10 per person or $30 for a family of five. Children under five are free, and Seasons Pass holders are welcome at no charge.
The O’Keefe Ranch and is now closed for the regular season and re-opens in May 2019, with the exception of Victorian Christmas. For more information visit www.okeeferanch.ca.
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