Silver City Museum’s beloved holiday event Victorian Christmas will be magically transformed after more than 40 years. Reinvented as “Tapestry of Traditions: A Celebration of the Season” it will keep favorite traditions while adding new ones which honor the diverse ways Grant County residents celebrate the winter season.
We owe so much to the people who created Victorian Christmas and kept it going for 40 years,” said museum director Bart Roselli. “They built something special. We’re trying to honor that while also asking: what does our community look like now? And how do we create space for the traditions that are here? Christmas traditions are very much present—the carols, Father Christmas, the decorated house, all the elements families have loved. We’re simply acknowledging that our neighbors also mark this season with their own meaningful traditions, and there’s room to learn from each other.”
This free, family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The community is invited to gather, learn and participate in the many traditions celebrated throughout the region.
The historic Ailman House will be traditionally decorated for Christmas. The museum courtyard will transform into a festive winter paradise. Gather at the Community Hearth in the center of the courtyard for regional seasonal favorites – warm cider and cookies, tamales, biscochitos, meat pies, dumplings, struffoli, and apple and pumpkin pies.
Wander and discover storytelling, music, and activities for all ages. Storytelling will feature traditional New Mexican Christmas stories. Members of the Chiricahua Apache Nation will share their stories around a simulated fire and offer traditional agave beverages.
Tamalada, the multi-generational art of tamale making, will be demonstrated. The Silver Ringtones will sing Christmas carols throughout the museum grounds.
Children’s activities include make and take birdseed ornaments with The Bird Alliance of Southwest New Mexico while learning about local birds and winter habitats. They can create New Year wishes for the Tree of Wishes, make mini tapestries, create luminarias and have their faces painted. Father Christmas will once again be handing out books from Literacy Link Leamos.
The Community Tapestry Project invites every visitor to contribute to a collective artwork. Each person receives a cloth square to draw, write, or illustrate their holiday traditions, memories, and/or wishes. These will be put together into one large community tapestry that will be displayed inside the museum throughout the holiday season.
And don’t forget gift giving shopping! A Holiday Market will feature local art and craft vendors. Food vendors include The Cuban Guy, Mint Chip, and La Bonita. Plus, do not miss the fabulous museum gift shop which is always full of trinkets and treasures.
Victorian Christmas will still be celebrated, and a new exhibit honors the museum’s Victorian heritage. The opening of a new exhibit, “A Place in History: The Legacy of the Ailman House,” also on Dec. 13 underscores the museum’s commitment to preserving the Victorian heritage while expanding the narrative.
“We're honoring history by giving it a permanent home,” Roselli says. “The Ailman House story doesn’t disappear, it becomes part of a larger conversation about all the histories that make up Silver City.”
“The Silver City Museum Store is also adding a perfect complement to the event’s theme with a new book, ‘Unpacking Silver City: Revealing the Rich Tapestry of a Historic Town,’ edited by Roselli,” said museum community engagement manager Brittany Beers. “This comprehensive history – the first in 30 years – features 10 essays by 10 historians that explore stories about Chihuahua Hill, Chinese settlers, cattle ranching, Billy the Kid, local health care, and so much more that goes beyond the Wild West narrative.”
The transformation from the Victorian Christmas theme to a more inclusive celebration was a well-thought-out project over the past year by the museum staff.
“When I first moved to Silver City, one of the first things that struck me was how diverse this community is,” says Ana Trinidad, the museum’s event manager. “When I was asked to reimagine our holiday celebration, ‘Tapestry of Traditions’ felt like the perfect way to honor the different cultures and traditions that make up Grant County. We’re not abandoning Victorian Christmas; we’re weaving in more threads. That’s what a tapestry is: individual threads that are beautiful on their own, but together they create something richer.”
Admission, children’s activities, and Community Hearth food/drinks are free. Food and artisan vendors are available for purchase. The Silver City Museum serves Grant County residents and visitors, using authentic records of the region’s multicultural past to foster informed perspectives on the present. The museum is nationally recognized through its accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.
For more information, to donate, or learn of volunteer opportunities, please visit www.silvercitymuseum.org, or call (575) 538-5921.
