Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 1-2 – Cracker Christmas
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Fort Christmas Historical Park and Museum
1300 Fort Christmas Road, Christmas
407-254-9310
nbbd.com
free
You probably don’t give much thought to the one-stoplight town of Christmas, Fla., during the year until you’re cruising east toward the coast on Highway 50 (and please – no texting and driving). And even then, you probably don’t have much reason to stop for a visit. But each year around this time, Christmas comes to life. The spirited settlement – founded Dec. 25, 1837, as a U.S. Army fort during the Second Seminole War – hosts a two-day Cracker Christmas, a colloquial ode to the Old Florida way of holiday merriment, complete with an outdoor barbecue, more than 150 artisans brandishing made-by-hand wares, an antique engine and tractor display, and visits with Santa Claus. The pioneer demos alone draw us in: Learn to make lace, weave baskets, carve wood and make rope. And for those looking to up the seasonal ante, bring your holiday cards to be hand-stamped at the Christmas Post Office. Yep, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. – Aimee Vitek
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2012.