Statehouse Holiday Festival and Open House
- Free and Open to the Public
Date :
December 1, 2009
Time :
05:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Where :
The Ohio Statehouse
1 Capitol Square
Columbus OH, 43215
What :
December 1, 2009
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Ohio Statehouse Rotunda & Atrium, Broad & High Streets; downtown Columbus
Free!
View a Short Video Highlighting This Year's Holiday Festival
The Ohio Statehouse will officially kick off the holiday season on Capitol Square on December 1 with a public open house and holiday festival. The "Ohio Statehouse Holiday Festival and Open House" will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. inside the Capitol Square complex in downtown Columbus. The event is free and open to the public.
The public is invited to "come to the People's House" and participate in the FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY holiday festival and open house. The event will include refreshments and performances by community choirs and the Chapel Brass of the Salvation Army. Other program elements will include: Lego Club model train display, a Santa and Mrs. Claus photo station, a finger printing I.D. station, a puppet show, Civil War re-enactors, various community mascots and much more.
The lighting of the Statehouse and two evergreen trees on the grounds with flood lights will be marked with the firing of a Civil War-era cannon. The lighting of Capitol Square will take place at 6 p.m. The cannon will be fired by members of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A.
The Ohio Statehouse Holiday kickoff event is a tradition that dates back to 1915. The annual holiday event has been entertaining people and celebrating the holidays for the past 94 years. The focal point of the 2009 event will be the indoor festival in the Statehouse Rotunda and Atrium, providing an evening of family-friendly activities.
Thank you to the following for making the 2009 Holiday Festival and Open House possible:
1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery A, Aaron's Sales & Lease, BalletMet, Bexley High School, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, Capitol Square Foundation, Central Ohio LEGO Train Club, Chapel Brass of the Salvation Army, Columbus Arts Marketing Assn., Columbus Crew, Columbus Program of Kent State University, Con Brio Children's Choir, COSI, Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland, Huntington National Bank, Kroger, Metro Cuisine, Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association, Ohio Government Television, Ohio Attorney General, Ohio Auditor of State, Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Ohio Highway Patrol, Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio Treasurer, Patrick Foley, Phoenix Theatre for Children, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Reece Lincoln Band, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Stanley Kronenberger, Starbucks Coffee, State Fire Marshall's Office, Statehouse Volunteer Corps., The Mascot Organization, The New World Singers of the Columbus Children's Choir, The Peanut Shoppes, The Signs of Christmas, The Singing Buckeyes, The Worthington Chorus Tim George - Mr. Etch A Sketch, Time Warner Cable, United Rentals, Voices of Hawthorne and WDEM-TV.
The Festival:
Scheduled Holiday Festival and Open House activities to date include:
Mascots and Characters:
Nutcracker and Clara (BalletMet) characters
Santa and Mrs. Claus
Several community mascots courtesy of The Mascot Organization
Musical Performances:
Bexley High School Vocal Ensemble
The New World Singers of the Columbus Children's Choir
Chapel Brass of the Salvation Army
Con Brio Children's Choir
Reece Lincoln Band performing, Blues Christmas
Signs of Christmas
The Singing Buckeyes
Voices of Hawthorne
Worthington Chorus Travel Ensemble
Demonstrations and Vignettes:
The Division of the State Fire Marshal Arson Dog Safety Demonstration
Ohio Highway Patrol Bomb Dog Safety Demonstration
Phoenix Children's Theatre for Children performing, Madeline's Christmas
Puppet performance by Puppet Kind
Activities:
BalletMet costume display
COSI flying reindeer display
Lego Train Club model train display
Mr. Etch-A-Sketch display and demonstration
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus photo station
Strolling Victorian period dressed individuals
Reading of The Nutcracker by BalletMet
Reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas
Age Appropriate Arts and Crafts Activity Stations:
Children will be given a holiday activity passport to get stamped at each activity station. After completing the activity, each child will receive a special Ohio Statehouse token.
Antler and Santa hat craft activity station
Coloring activity
Face painting station
Holiday magnets and Santa picture frame activity
Ornament making activity
Merry Mixtures activity
Other:
Ohio Statehouse Museum open through 7 p.m.
Statehouse Museum Shop open; special discount coupon available for this night only
In-kind support of the Ohio Statehouse Holiday Festival and Open House to date is provided by the Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Capitol Square Foundation, Kroger, Starbucks and United Rental.
