Click here of downloadable PDF about Spirit of Christmas 2017

It is the season of celebration and we will once again celebrate the Spirit of Christmas in the Mountains on two weekends. Please mark your 2018 calendar to visit us Saturday, November 24th, Sunday, November 25th, Saturday, December 1st, and Sunday, December 2nd.

Each day will have its unique flavor. Here is the 2017 schedule. Our 2018 schedule will be update as the event date approaches (which is subject to change without notice)

2017 SCHEDULE	11/25	11/26	12/2	12/3
13th Virginia Regiment (reenactment)	X		X
1812 Tree Exhibit	X	X	X	X
Bag Pipe Music	X	X
Basket Making				X
Belsnickle	X	X	X	X
Blacksmithing	X	X	X	X
Candle Making (hands on)	X	X	X	X
Caroling at Tree Lighting	X	X	X	X
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire	X	X	X	X
Corn Shelling and Cracking	X	X	X	X
Dulcimer Performance	X	X	X	X
Gift Shop & Coffee	X	X	X	X
Guitar Performance	X	X	X	X
Gingerbread Man Decoration (hands on)	X	X	X	X
Herbologist	X	X	X	X
Historic Interpreters	X	X	X	X
Open Hearth Cooking	X	X	X	X
Pottery	X	X		X
Print Shop	X	X	X	X
Refreshments (including hot wassel, hot chocolate )	X	X	X	X
Spinning	X	X	X
Stocks (photo opportunity)	X	X	X	X
Story of the Orangee			X	X
Story Telling	X	X	X	X
Sound of the Mountains (music)			X
Tinsmith	X	X	X	X
Toy Demonstration (hands on)	X	X	X	X
Traditional Tree Lighting with Grand Processional	X	X	X	X
Weaving	X	X

This event was brought to you in 2017 by the Fort New Salem Foundation, Harrison County Commission, Martin Ventures, LLC / EastGate Used Cars, LLC, Salem International University and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

We will have 13 cabins open. We have opportunities for visitors to purchase and make their own candle as well as decorated a gingerbread man. Be sure to check out the corn shelling a chestnuts roasting on an open fire. New for 2017 are the “story of the orange,” an interpretation of the value of oranges in gift giving and a limited appearance of 13th Virginia Regiment. We also have commissioned a limited edition hand made Christmas Ornament from Fenton Glass. It will be available at our gift shop.

Beginning 2 PM each day, journey with us back in time to Christmas in the Appalachian frontier of the mid- 19th century. Festivities feature music provided by area choirs, gifts for sale, weaving, blacksmithing, open hearth cooking, Belsnickeling and a traditional tree lighting with our grand processional.

Our traditional Christmas Tree lighting is a visitor favorite and perhaps the most inspiring of our customs of Christmas. We cap each day’s celebration at sundown with Gaily-dressed revelers lighting candles arrayed upon an outdoor evergreen.  The sight of this lighting of the candles as carolers proclaim the season will move visitors.

Another unique aspect of our celebration is Belsnickeling, a tradition practiced in certain German settlements of West Virginia, features costumed and masked mummers who will roam from house to house demanding attention and favors.  Appearances of the Der Belsnickel and his band of roving mummers, a noisy and colorful group, are throughout the day during our celebration.

Our Spirit of Christmas in the Mountains is a celebration of the historic and cultural folkways of the Scotch – Irish, English, and German settlers in West Virginia.  This celebration blends the seasonal customs of these settlers into a panorama of music, foods, and heritage skills, along with the life styles that represent the diversity of beliefs and traditions of the season.  Visitors will see a domestic setting representing family customs of ethnic origins, reflected in the preparation of special foods, making of decorations and methods of celebration.  Heritage skills are demonstrated in our community’s blacksmith shop and Old Kitchen.  Modern interpretations of heritage crafts are also for sale from local craftspeople located in several of the Fort’s buildings.

General admission is $5 with children 10 & under admitted free with paying adult.