ALDERSON, W.Va. (WVDN) – Christmas at The Cedars will return for its second year with more vendors, new attractions and a larger holiday village experience at the farm and historic home of Jayson and Rachel Warner Baker.
Rachel said preparations for the event began in June. Four additional workers joined the effort in August, helping with everything from hanging lights and fluffing trees to planning, painting and decorating. Volunteers have also helped prepare the carnival and Santa’s cabin, gather donated items and take on other tasks.
The work extends beyond the decorations. Improvements have been made to the barn, bathrooms, roof, floors, parking area and lighting, along with upgrades to the well in case conditions allow the owners to use a snowmaker.
“It’s hundreds of hours of work before we even open the doors,” Baker said.
The second-year event will feature a food truck court, historic home tours by appointment, a children’s carnival and mini-Christmas village, and a walk-through Christmas tree lot. The barn will be filled with three times as many vendors as last year, Baker said, and the grounds will have more decorations. Santa’s cabin will also include a room for nursing mothers with a baby-changing station.
Many activities from the first year will return, including shopping, a petting zoo, axe throwing, bonfires, movies, games and tractor rides.
Organizers have also adjusted the schedule after learning that some visitors mainly wanted to shop. A $6 early-bird ticket will be available online or at the gate for Friday from noon to 2:45 PM. Those tickets are for shopping only. The full event begins at 3:00 PM Friday.
Baker said the couple learned a lot from the first year, including how to manage dust in the barns, keep activities running smoothly and avoid overloading the electrical system. Much of the event’s infrastructure is already in place, making preparations move faster this time around.
“We’ve become literal professionals at repairing broken Christmas lights,” she said.
Baker described Christmas at The Cedars as a holiday village on a historic property, with something for visitors of all ages.
“We want you to feel like you’ve stepped into a Christmas village, with that same nostalgia and wonder of grandma’s house on Christmas Eve,” she said.
The event takes place across grassy and gravel areas, so organizers recommend wearing sturdy, comfortable shoes and dressing for the weather. Overflow parking will be off-site. Pets are not allowed. Credit cards are accepted at the gates and in the event’s shops, though some vendors may accept cash only.
Historic home tour spots are limited, and organizers recommend purchasing tickets early at thecedarsfarm.square.site.
