Celebrate the beauty of the Christmas season with a day immersed in fabulous holiday cheer, history, the arts and unique shopping opportunities. HACC will host Yuletide on the Brandywine, a bus trip scheduled for Friday, Dec. 3. The bus will leave HACC at 6:30 a.m., returning at 10 p.m.
The morning will be spent at the Brandywine River Museum enjoying A Brandywine Christmas in the restored 19th Century gristmill. The charming "Critter" tree and O-gauge railroad, as well as special season and permanent art exhibits, will be enjoyed, followed by lunch on your own at the peaceful museum café, overlooking the Brandywine River.
After lunch, the group will make a quick stop at Chadds Ford Winery, the state's largest winery, followed by a trip to Winterthur, the Du Pont Country Estate. The Yuletide Tour will lead the group through the exquisitely decorated home and, if weather permits, a tram ride around the grounds of the estate will be included.
Longwood Gardens is the final magical destination. Fragrant flowers, magnificent Christmas trees, and thousands of poinsettias create a warm retreat indoors, with 400,000 white lights glittering in the outdoor trees at night. The holiday treat will conclude with the Longwood Yuletide Buffet. Cost of $135 includes all admission fees, the Yuletide Buffet and transportation.
A Christmas Wreath and Centerpiece "make it, take it" class will be held Saturday, Dec 4., noon to 4 p.m. Working with silk and dried flowers and foliage, participants will learn to construct and take home a holiday wreath and centerpiece sure to add that special touch to holiday home décor. Cost is $99.
Icy Visions: The Landscapes of Winter is a class offered Sunday, Dec. 5 from 1:30-3:30 p.m., and repeated again from 4-6 p.m. Participants will enjoy hot tea as they view images of beauty and serenity from the Northern Renaissance, the Dutch Golden Age and the 19th Century Romantic Movement, Russian folk art, Currier and Ives prints, and the 19th and 20th Centuries. A selection of Asian winter landscapes, peaceful untouched snowfalls and people at play and work in charming paintings will be included. Cost is $25.
Holiday Cookies, Desserts and Treats, a hands-on demonstration, will be held on two Tuesdays, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, 6-9 p.m. This class will help participants make the holidays less stressful, as they learn to prepare a variety of items that can be used when unexpected guests show up, to give as a gift, or to enjoy while sitting around the fire. Cost is $99.
Parent-Child Gingerbread House Construction is a hands-on demonstration class that will be taught on two Sundays, Dec. 12 and 19, 1-3 p.m.
Parents or even aunts and uncles are invited to come to spend some quality time together with the children, building their own gingerbread house and decorating it for display in their home. In the first session, participants will learn how to properly cut out their chosen template, making and working with gingerbread dough and how to roll it out for baking. For the second session, participants will bring their own candies and decorations, then let their minds be creative in constructing and decorating their house.
This class may be taken by individuals for $85. Cost for a pair is $75.
Charles Dickens's Christmas Feast will be offered Saturday, Dec. 18, 1-4 p.m. Be visited by the ghost of Christmas past! "A Christmas Carol" is a classic tale set in Olde England.
Participants will prepare a Christmas dinner with the menu based on dishes found on Scrooge's table. They will learn how to roast a goose and prepare all the trimmings that go along with "God bless us everyone." Then they will finish the meal with a classic Plum Pudding and a toast to the New Year. Cost is $80.
Early registration is suggested. Information may be obtained by viewing the Community Education Courses online at the website below or by calling 780-2587.