Grass Valley, Calif.— Holidays at the Park, which is usually held the day after Thanksgiving, is being held the following weekend this year on Saturday, December 2nd, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit the warmly decorated clubhouse, tour the Bourn cottage, and listen to the world renowned Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir. See if you can find all of the pesky Cornish Piskies hidden around the grounds! There will also be historic children’s games, candle dipping, tin punching, mining equipment and blacksmithing demonstrations, and docents in period attire.
Visitors can enjoy Christmas cookies and hot drinks for a small donation, and savor freshly roasted chestnuts around the fire.
Don’t miss your chance to tell Santa what you want for Christmas! Victorian Santa and Mrs. Claus return to the clubhouse this year for pictures and to hear what’s on your wishlist.
In addition to the Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir, who has been performing traditional Cornish songs since 1876, Celtic harpist Jessica Pittaway and local band Fire in the Kitchen will perform in front of the clubhouse. Inside the Bourn cottage, classical guitarist Heather MacAdam will provide musical ambiance for the season.
The park opens at 10:00 a.m., and the activities and entertainment begin at 11:00 a.m. Entrance fee is $5 per person; age 5 and under are free. Fourth Graders and their families get in free with the California State Parks Adventure Pass (please obtain pass prior to arrival; visit www.parks.ca.gov/AdventurePass for information)
This annual event is organized in cooperation with the Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports educational and interpretive programs for the three California State Parks in Western Nevada County.
When: Saturday, December 2, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Doors open at 10 a.m
Note: Not the day/weekend after Thanksgiving
Where: Empire Mine State Historic Park, 10791 East Empire Street, Grass Valley CA.
Directions: From Auburn, drive 24 miles north on Hwy 49 to the Empire St. exit in Grass Valley. Turn right and follow Empire St. east to the Visitor Center parking lots or Penn Gate parking lot.
From Truckee, take Hwy 80 West to Hwy 20 West, exit and turn left on Hwy 174/Colfax Hwy, turn right on Empire Mine Cross Rd.
Cost: $5 per person; age 5 and under are free.
Fourth Graders and their families: free with the California State Parks Adventure Pass
This annual event is organized in cooperation with the Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports educational and interpretive programs for the three California State Parks in Western Nevada County.
Empire Mine State Historic Park is the site of one of the oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California. In operation for more than 100 years, the mine extracted 5.8 million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956. The park contains many of the mine’s buildings, the owner’s home and restored gardens, as well as the entrance to 367 miles of abandoned and flooded mine shafts. The park also encompasses 856 acres of forested backcountry and fourteen miles of trails.