COLTS NECK – The spirit of colonial Williamsburg will be celebrated at the sixth annual Williamsburg Christmas sponsored by the Colts Neck Historical Preservation Committee, Dec. 9.
A Christmas wreath-making demonstration by the Greenhouse Gallery, Christmas ornaments and decorations from the Mulberry Market, as well as traditional and contemporary Christmas music from the Colts Neck Reformed Church choirs are expected to put visitors in a holiday mood.
“I believe the Williamsburg name comes from the architecture of the buildings at the municipal complex where the Christmas event is held,” said Linda Bremer, a member of the Historical Preservation Committee and last year’s chair of the event. “It’s really the simple holiday spirit of getting together, learning a craft and listening to music, while enjoying refreshments provided by committee members.”
Bremer said music will be provided by the Jubilation! Choir and the Celebration Ringers from the Colts Neck Reformed Church, both national touring choirs. The Jubilation! Choir consists of 30 teenagers in grade seven through 12, while the Celebration Ringers is a 14-member hand bell choir of students in grade nine through 12.
“The teenagers love to perform at this wonderful community event,” said Maggie Tripold, the church’s director of music and worship arts. “When they sing and ring the hand bells, they bring a contagious Christmas spirit to a usually standing room only crowd.”
Tripold said the hand bell ringers will be under the direction of Kay Brown, while she will direct the Jubilation! Choir in an hourlong presentation of old and new Christmas music for the event.
Bremer said the Williamsburg Christmas event is not really a fundraiser for the committee, even though Christmas wreaths and ornaments will be on sale as well as historic books and the historical committee’s stationery.
“It’s really a lovely, holiday social open to all the community,” she said.
While all of the committee members assist in the Williamsburg Christmas, this year’s designated chair is Cathi Trost, with co-chairs Patricia Mitchell and Jennifer Engle. Jane Davis and Harold Kilbride are the event’s committee members.
The Colts Neck Historical Preservation Committee was initiated nine years ago by Lillian Burry, now its chair. It is responsible for the maintenance of the 9/11 memorial at town hall, presenting plaques to Colts Neck houses dating from 1865 or earlier and the restoration of the Montrose School, a oneroom schoolhouse built in 1812 that remained in operation until 1922.
“Our major fundraiser to pay for these projects is our annual historic house tour,” said Bremer, who chaired this year’s house tour. “We sold 222 tickets with 50 of them on the day of the tour. It was our greatest number to date. Also, we received a generous donation of $1,000 from Carol Stillwell of Stillwell Stables, one of the sites on the tour. The proceeds will be concentrated on the restoration of the Montrose School.”
The Williamsburg Christmas will take place in the courthouse building in the municipal complex on Cedar Drive from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 9. The Jubilation! Choir and Celebration Ringers will perform from 2-3 p.m. The Williamsburg Christmas is free. Guests may attend on the day of the event with no tickets or registration necessary.