Scottdale house tour, West Overton holiday market to get you in the spirit

Area residents and visitors will have several upcoming opportunities to enjoy the holiday season in the Scottdale area.

The West Overton Village and Museums hosts its annual free Homestead Holiday Open House and Market and the Scottdale Historical Society holds its annual Christmas House Tour, both on Dec. 7.

Guests will find the 1838 Overholt Homestead, in East Huntingdon , decorated for the season during the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. open house. A harpist will play as visitors move on to the 1830s summer kitchen to enjoy warm spiced cider and cookies.

A traditional medieval wassail (spiced apple cider with wine) will also be available for purchase. Carolers from the California University of Pennsylvania, dressed in period costume, will serenade visitors. Children can plan a visit with Santa Claus from noon to 4 p.m. in the Distillery Museum.

Visitors can make make reindeer food from cornmeal and string popcorn garlands. “On the Home Front,” a World War II exhibit featuring the war’s impact on the communities around West Overton, will be open.

Nearly 30 craft vendors will offer holiday gifts and treats for purchase in the Overholt Room.

Holiday house tour

Also on Dec. 7, the Scottdale Historical Society’s Christmas House Tour will be held from 2 to 6 p.m., featuring four homes and a church in and around Scottdale, as well as the Geyer Performing Arts Center and West Overton Museums.

The tour begins with the Loucks Homestead, built in 1835 in the Federal style and remodeled in the popular 1880s Victorian style.

Miss Martha’s Floral designers, David Mardis and Becky Halfhill, will decorate the homestead. The society will offer holiday raffle baskets and a gift for tour guests. Included will be a display of vintage Christmas trees and ornaments, a holiday village, carolers, organists and treats.

Also on the tour are an 1897 Queen Anne built by E.H. and Clara M. Parker, boasting a two-story foyer, parlor mantel and stained glass windows.

An American Foursquare home features 20 decorated trees throughout an expansive home with a grand staircase and leaded glass windows.

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, dedicated in 1892, also is on the tour. Period dressed guides will give tour participants a history of the Geyer Performing Arts Center.

Tour guests also can enjoy the holiday finery at West Overton Village and Museums as well as the holiday market.

Visitors can top off their day at 5 p.m. with the Winter Light Celebration at the Gazebo Park, located near the Scottdale Public Library and hosted by the Scottdale Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets for the Christmas House Tour are $15 and can be purchased online in advance or the day of the tour at the Loucks Homestead, 527 N. Chestnut St.

Details: scottdalehistoricalsociety.com