Participants from an earlier Victorian Christmas event.

"Going to the Ball"

Victorian Christmas Celebrated Dec. 5-6

December 1, 2009

The Victorian Society, one of the Fullerton Arboretum’s volunteer support groups, will be hosting a special holiday Victorian Candlelight Christmas event called “Going to the Ball” Dec. 5 & 6.

The vintage 1894 Heritage House on the grounds of the Arboretum, decorated for a traditional Victorian holiday, will serve as backdrop for the holiday event. Four narrated vignettes will be portrayed by members of the Victorian Society in period costume. The central story involves the household getting ready for the Christmas Ball at the St. George Hotel and all the accompanying activities commensurate with the season.

Presentations will be in the doctor’s office, where a patient is being treated waiting for the ball; the Parlor where the doctor's daughters engage in banter about Christmas preparations; the dining room where grandparents dealing with Christmas past; and the kitchen where mother and grandmother prepare baskets for needy families.

Following the vignettes, guests will visit nearby Oak Hall for a four-part demonstration of how couples dress for a ball from under garments, or “unmentionables,” to finished outerwear. These and other couples will finally join take part in a simulated Christmas Ball, featuring Victorian-era dancing and a Grand March. Guests will be encouraged to participate.

The cost for this event is $15 per person; advanced reservations and prepayment are required. Admission begins at 5 p.m. and runs every 30 minutes, with the last tour at 7 p.m. Complimentary cookies and punch will be served in Oak Hall.

Tickets and reservations can be made by calling 657-278-3704 or emailing dianeking@fullerton.edu.