GIRARDVILLE - Get into the Christmas spirit this weekend as the Girardville Historical Society holds its second Deck the Halls festival in the borough municipal building, Fourth and B streets.
The three-day holiday event will delight children and adults with decorated Christmas trees and displays, activities for children and information on ethnic holiday customs, with this year featuring those of Ireland.
The festival will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with each day having something different to experience. Admission is free.
The creator and coordinator of the Christmas wonderland is society member Rosalie Rowan-Kuzma, who is working with society members and others in showing the area's ethnic variety when it comes to holiday traditions.
This year's displays will include a handmade gingerbread house by Kuzma that measures 4 1/2 feet by 5 1/2 feet.
"Since I wanted to add gingerbread houses to the tree, wreath and Nativity displays, I decided to do a large version of what is usually everybody's favorite," she said.
Kuzma began building the gingerbread house in her apartment, putting together the specifications and constructing it of foam board and Elmer's wood glue. Even though it was built in sections, Kuzma was concerned about getting it out of the apartment because of its size.
Looking at the gingerbread house day after day, she came up with another idea to add to the display.
"As if making the house wasn't enough, after sitting and looking at it with admiration a thought of Hansel and Gretel came to mind," Kuzma said. "The thought hardly had time to mature further when I had my sewing supplies in hand and was giving birth to three handmade marionettes - Hansel, Gretel and the witch."
The inspiration for last year's inaugural display came to Kuzma from the Bloomsburg Tree Fest and the Pottsville Masonic Lodge's Christmas Gala. She wanted to do something in Girardville and the historical society members like the idea and endorsed it.
On Friday, the exhibit will be open to the public in the main meeting room. The displays will remain through the holiday season so visitors to borough hall during regular business hours can also see them.
Saturday's program will focus on children.
"My plan is to entertain the children on Saturday with an ad lib Hansel and Gretel re-enactment using the gingerbread house as a background and puppets as the cast," Kuzma said. "Cookies and refreshments will be provided to the children and adults should bring along their cameras since the gingerbread house will provide some great holiday photos."
Sunday's program will deal with the Irish way of celebrating Christmas.
"I will give a lecture on 'Irish Christmas Traditions and Customs,' a topic on which I'm well-versed," Kuzma said. "Several years ago, I gave this same lecture at the Ashland Area Historic Preservation Society's 'Christmas in Ireland' presentation."
Kuzma said the exhibition will be a lot of fun for visitors and hopes that it will continue to grow in future years.
"Those attending the three-day Deck the Halls celebration will not be disappointed," Kuzma said. "In fact, they'll be pleasantly surprised by what we have to offer the senses. So come out everyone. Bring a friend. We'll all be waiting to welcome you.
"Let us show you what Girardville can do as far as putting on a show. Can the town once noted for the finest minstrels in the area be expected to do anything else?"
For more information, call 570-276-6586 or 570-276-6430.