Christmas Past

Father Christmas

It can feel wonderful to put aside contemporary holiday stress, suspend disbelief, and step into Christmas Past. Here are a few suggested events in the Bay Area where you can visit a simpler time.

Christmas at Ardenwood
A Victorian style holiday! Visit the beautifully decorated Patterson House, sing Christmas carols, search for the Yule log, and visit Father Christmas. Listen to live musical performances, puppet shows and enter the home-made ‘Christmas Cookie’ baking contest. The day also includes an abundance of Christmas crafts, music, and country kitchen treats.December 1, 2012 10 AM – December 2, 2012 4 PM
Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont
Tickets and Information

The Dunsmuir-Hellman Historic Estate
A Holiday Tradition
Visitors tour the magnificent 37-room mansion with turn-of-the-century holiday decorations. Stroll the lovely estate, indulge in the Adult or Children’s Holiday Teas, ride the romantic horse-drawn carriage, be entertained by holiday performers, enjoy a light lunch or snack, and shop for holiday crafts. For the children: breakfast with Santa, pony-rides, holiday face-painting, and crafts.

Saturdays & Sundays, December 1 & 2, 8 & 9, and 15 & 16
2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland
Tickets and more information

Great Dickens Christmas Fair
And Victorian Holiday Party
The bustling streets of London, immortalized for all time by the mighty pen of Charles Dickens, form the living backdrop of your excursion into Christmas Past. You are a living part of a Victorian Christmas card come to life!

Five weekends in 2012: Friday, November 23 through Sunday, December 23
10 AM ’til 7 PM.
Cow Palace, San Francisco
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The Christmas Revels
The Celestial Fools
Pilgrims from all over Europe streaming towards the small Adriatic village of Prosecco. It’s the 16th century and, led by the local Guild of Fools, villagers are preparing for a great annual holiday pageant which will mark the turning of the year.

Performances are December 7, 8, & 9, and 14, 15, & 16.
Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays & Sundays at 1 PM & 5 PM
Oakland Scottish Rite Center on Lake Merritt
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Oakland Ballet’s The Nutcracker
A Very Special Winter Mix
From the bravery of an unlikely hero found in a Nutcracker Prince to the charms cast by exotic, faraway places, Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker makes it easy to dream big. Experience an endearing masterpiece with us and share in a rich and vibrant local tradition that has delighted audiences old and young for generations.

December 22, 23 and 24
Paramount Theater, Oakland
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A Christmas Carol
Featuring a lively cast of dozens, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition returns with a sparkling, music-infused production of A Christmas Carol. Bring your family, bring your friends, and check your “humbugs” at the door!

December 1-24
American Conservatory Theater
415 Geary Street, San Francisco
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