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17th Annual Festival of Lights, 2006
Tour a Victorian Mansion Bedecked with
Dozens of Gaily Decorated Christmas Trees.
This inspiring Holiday
event is sponsored by the Braddock Trail Chapter
of the National Society Daughters of the
American Revolution and the Laurel Highlands
Chamber of Commerce. Dates for the
Festival of Lights in 2006 are:
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Saturday, November
25 and Sunday, November 26 from 1:30 p.m. to
9:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m.
Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2
from 1:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 3 from Noon to 4:00 p.m.
Admission is $3 per person age 12 and over.
Children under 12 are admitted free. |
Tour the historic
120-year old Samuel Warden Mansion, located at
200 South Church Street, Mt. Pleasant. View the
beautifully decorated Christmas trees, choose
your favorite tree, enjoy refreshments, become
eligible to win a daily door prize, and visit
our craft and raffle room.
All trees are available for purchase throughout
the event. There are also trees that will be
raffled with the drawing for winners at the
conclusion of the last day of the event.
Purchased trees or raffle prize trees may be
picked up on Sunday, December 4, 2004 from 5:00
p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Net proceeds from this event
go to the DAR House Restoration project and
Chamber projects. For more information you may
call the Chamber of Commerce at 724-547-7521.
Please visit our website at
www.geocities.com/fol15666. Come and
be a part of this festive Holiday occasion!
“The Festival of Lights represents a remarkable
contribution by the local community and our many
wonderful volunteers,” explained Rosalind L.
Ashmun of the DAR. “Those who decorate the trees
are individuals, organizations, and businesses.
Decorated trees are donated back to the project
and are put on display for sale. We provide the
tree and a set of lights. Trees are often
decorated in imaginative themes. We have had
nature trees, Barbie and Mickey Mouse themes, as
well as sports trees overflowing with fishing
and hockey decorations. The trees are available
for purchase and range in price from $50 to
$125. The proceeds benefit restoration of the
mansion and other community projects.”
The mansion itself is worth the price of
admission. Built in 1886 by Samuel and Margaret
Warden (contemporaries of Henry Clay Frick),
this 12 room, high-ceilinged Victorian mansion
features large halls, original furnishings, and
a genealogical library. The kids will enjoy the
original portrait of Margaret Warden, whose eyes
seem to follow you wherever you may be standing
in the room.
The tour itself takes about 45 minutes to an
hour, and each room on the self-guided tour has
a knowledgeable attendant ready to answer your
questions about the Festival of Lights and the
mansion itself. Parking is available on the
streets around the mansion.
The Braddock Trail Chapter of the National
Society of the Daughters of the American
Revolution purchased the Warden mansion in 1960
and is one of only four DAR chapters owning
property in Pennsylvania. The mansion is
maintained by volunteers and acts as the
chapter’s headquarters and location for their
monthly meetings. The Warden mansion also houses
a genealogical library that is open to the
public from April through the end of October
each year. A small donation is requested for the
use of this library, whose archives are replete
with census, Bible, cemetery, church, county,
and family histories, both from Westmoreland
County and counties around the state.
Hundreds of people in the Mount Pleasant area
have made the Festival of Lights a yearly
tradition, and family members returning home for
the holidays would never miss it. The Festival
of Lights is perfect for young children dreaming
of Santa Claus and the delights of Christmas
Eve. You, too, should add this special
Westmoreland County event to your list of
Holiday stops.
Sponsored by: Braddock Trail Chapter,
National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution and the Laurel Highlands Chamber of
Commerce.
For more information, contact the
Laurel Highlands Chamber of Commerce at
1-888-547-7521,
or Rosalind L. Ashmun of the DAR at
724-423-3275.
Festival of Lights information will also
soon be available online at
www.geocities.com/fol15666 .
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