Greeley Museum Announces Revised Dates for Holiday Events in December
Centennial Village Museum in Greeley has rescheduled its annual Homesteader's Holiday Weekend to December 5 and 6, adding expanded programming across both days of the revised event.
The original dates of December 6 and 7 were changed to accommodate additional activities during the holiday celebration at the museum, which features over 35 historical buildings representing Colorado High Plains settlement from the 1860s through the 1940s.
The weekend will begin December 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. with a Christmas tree lighting, featuring free cocoa and cookies. Visitors can explore the festively decorated village during evening hours. Bringing a canned food donation for Weld Food Bank provides free admission, while entry without a donation costs $4 per person for ages 3 and up. Children 2 and under enter free.
New Storytelling Program Debuts December 5
Following the tree lighting, the museum will present Tales from the Hearth from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., a new interactive storytelling program examining Christmas celebrations throughout history. The program explores Victorian traditions and how families maintained holiday customs during economic hardship.
Tickets for Tales from the Hearth cost $20 per person and require advance purchase through online registration. The program is recommended for ages 7 and up.
Annual Homesteader's Holiday Continues December 6
The main Homesteader's Holiday celebration runs December 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring the museum's traditional programming. Visitors can explore historical buildings representing the settlement era of Weld County, including the 1861 Weld County Courthouse and the 1885 Hall House, an Italianate residence reflecting early agricultural prosperity, according to architectural surveys documented by SAH Archipedia.
Activities include seasonal craft-making, candle dipping, live music, and caroling. Cowboy Santa will visit throughout the day, and the museum gift shop will offer handmade gifts and local items.
The same admission structure applies: canned food donations provide free entry, or $4 per person ages 3 and up without a donation. Tickets are available at the door or through advance registration at the city's events page.
Historic Village Interprets Regional Settlement
Founded in 1976 during the nation's bicentennial, Centennial Village Museum preserves relocated and restored structures from across northeastern Colorado. The collection includes a Union Pacific Depot from 1910, a Queen Anne style Sears, Roebuck mail-order home from 1900, and housing that demonstrates ethnic diversity including Swedish-American and German-Russian immigrant communities.
The buildings were moved to the site to prevent demolition, then restored with period-appropriate furnishings to create an immersive village setting centered around gardens and a gazebo originally located in Lincoln Park in 1885, according to the City of Greeley.
Additional structures include a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, printer's shop, church, and agricultural buildings that illustrate frontier occupations and community development patterns specific to the High Plains region.
Details about the holiday events are available on the Greeley Museums website at GreeleyMuseums.com or through the city's events calendar. Centennial Village Museum is located in Greeley.