A unique holiday celebration, Christmas at the Village, awaits visitors on Saturday, December 8th, from 2 – 8:30 p.m. at Old Economy Village. At this year's German Traditions program, families will discover Christmas rituals adopted by German immigrants from different periods in American history, including some celebrated by the Harmony Society. The spirit of Christmas will be evident to visitors as they walk along lantern-lit streets, tour the decorated village festooned with traditional German ornaments and sample delicious German fare. Historic craftsmen will ply their crafts and vendors will display and sell their wares for any early holiday shoppers. Belsnickel, the grumpy helper to the German St. Nicholas, will check his great book to see if children were good or bad during the year. All are invited to join in the holiday celebration of events, enjoying children’s activities, musical performances and a puppet theatre show. A horse-drawn conveyance will run from the Visitor Center to the historic site between 2 and 8:30 p.m. Visitors also have a final opportunity to visit the railroad exhibit, Tracks Trestles and Trustees and to experience the model railroad layout which depicts the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE), of which the Harmony Society was a key stockholder. Christmas at the Village tickets will be sold at the Visitor Center located at 270 Sixteenth Street, Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children (ages 4-17 years). The program runs from
2 - 8:30 p.m. Parking is available at the Visitor’s Center. Additional parking and a free shuttle service provided by R.J. Rhodes Transit, Inc. can be accessed at the former Foodland on Merchant Street in Ambridge courtesy of Economy Village Center Associates.

Families can kick off the holiday season with a visit to the festive Weihnachtsmarkt, Christmas Market, where they can visit with traditional tradesmen working their craft
and find unique hand-made gifts and traditional Christmas treats to take home.
Mastercraftsman-produced wares include tin holiday decorations, lighting fixtures and décor pieces; German-made, hand-painted Christmas ornaments; decorative and functional iron pieces; stars; locally-produced honey and beeswax ornaments; naturally-dyed yarns, carded wools and hand-tooled leather goods.

Visitors will have the opportunity to create homemade decorations and view a handcrafted Gingerbread Village, a replica of historic Economy, designed by associates of the architectural firm, Burt Hill. Area school groups are also building a replica gingerbread structure to fit in the Gingerbread Village. Participants will compete by grade level with the employees of Burt Hill picking the winning entrees.

Members of St. John’s Lutheran Church, the original house of worship for the Harmony Society, will provide delicious homemade German food from 2 - 7 p.m. in the church assembly hall, directly across the street from the historic site. A sampling of the menu includes Peach-n- Pear Kuchen Tart, spätzle, bratwurst, red cabbage, Lebkuchen, a distinctive German heart-shaped cookie and more. A church tour and live nativity scene are offered every 15 minutes from 5 - 7:45 p.m. A short movie and discussion will provide information on how the church looked during the Harmonists’ time - pictures of the bell tour and an explanation on how it came to be there will be included.

The event’s musical programming will be outstanding with the Old Economy Orchestra and Singers performing a Christmas cantata, written by the Harmonists and originally performed on Christmas Day 1817. This year’s performance will be held in St. John’s Lutheran Church at 3 p.m. This work consists of nine chorales and arias ranging from the joyful opening chorus “Schmückt das Fest mit Wintergrün” (“Deck the Festival with Wintergreen”) to the introspective bass solo “O Nacht!” (“O Night!”). Festive and solemn songs composed by physician Johann Christoph Müller, innkeeper Friedrich Eckensperger and other Harmonists will provide a window into the celebration of Christmas at “Oekonomie”. Additional musical performances will occur throughout the day at the historic site.

Economy has 17 restored structures furnished with collections of the Harmony Society, a German communal group known for its industrial prosperity in textiles and manufacturing, railroad investments and winemaking. Visitors encounter ever-changing traditional tradesmen, perform historic chores and view formal gardens, original paintings, tools, books and furnishings. The Visitor Center offers guests an orientation video, exhibits and the museum store. For those unable to attend this program, this National Historic Landmark site is open - December 30th, 2007. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sunday, Noon-5:00 p.m. The museum site is closed Mondays and holidays including November 22nd and 23rd and December 25th, 2007 (call for hours). Please allow 2 hours for a visit. Admission is charged: Adults (18 years and older), $7.00; Youth (6 years - 17 years), $5.00; Senior Citizens (60 years and older), $6.00; Under 6, No Charge. Persons with disabilities who need special assistance or accommodation should call (724) 266-4500 in advance to discuss their needs. Pennsylvania TDD relay service is available at (800) 654-5984

Old Economy Village is one of 26 historic sites and museums on the Pennsylvania Trail of History®, administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. For more information or to request a free 24-page visitor guide, visit www.phmc.state.pa.us or phone toll free 1-866-PA TRAIL. For more information on Old Economy Village visit www.oldeconomyvillage.org.