As many of us are booking our calendars and making lists of which events we want to attend this holiday season, as well as adding up how much they cost (those choir concerts and community performances of A Christmas Carol add up!) you may have discovered that there are many events, obligations and awkward dinner parties and not enough evenings to fit them all between now until January first.
Daytime events are few and far between, and interesting excursions that can help you feel like you are celebrating the season without gagging down fruitcake or church company are found wanting.
Here's a suggestion: a day-time, low-cost opportunity to experience what an in-camp Christmas was like during the Civil War.
Living in Virginia offers incredible opportunities year-round to explore the remnants of American history. For residents in Alexandria's West End, Fort Ward (and its ruins of a Civil War fort on site) is more than a place to get some refreshing outdoor exercise.
Fort Ward's Civil War Christmas in-Camp Open House is a unique holiday event for everyone where, as it states on the city's website, you can "meet a patriotic Civil War Santa Claus, visit an officer's hut decorated for the season, talk with soldiers in winter camps, and tour the historic Union Fort."
At a suggested donation of $2 per person, this is an affordable, fascinating, and geographically/historically relevant event that can easily fit into a busy holiday schedule, and even be a relazxing Saturday outing before heading out to the company Christmas party where iPhone raffles replaced year-end bonuses again.
I feel as if I'm always searching for that perfect way to celebrate the season that combines what's unique about the region and neighborhood I live in, and I can easily do without too much planning, cost or time commitment. Spending a couple of hours on a Saturday being mildly entertained, thoroughly relaxed, and creatively educated seems like the perfect way to feel celebratory and civically active at the same time. Not to mention city taxes are helping to support these kind of events, so in addition to a small donation, it's a way to go and see the fruit of our labors!
IF YOU GO:
When: Sat. Dec 14, 2013. 12:00 - 4:00 PM
Where: Fort Ward Park Museum, 4301 W. Braddock Rd.
For more information, visit the City of Alexandria's website. Otherwise, plan on bundling up for an outside stroll and bringing the entire family along.