Santa And His Elves Have Arrived Early in Cape May for Holiday Preview Weekend

CAPE MAY— It’s never too early for a little Christmas cheer! The holiday spirit has taken hold of Victorian Cape May, the man in the red suit has landed with his eight tiny reindeer, and the Christmas elves have finished decorating the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., with thousands of twinkling lights just in time for Cape May’s Holiday Preview Weekend, Nov. 19-21, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). Start celebrating the holidays early with a long weekend of festive tours, activities and food and wine events that are sure to get you into the Christmas spirit.
Come to the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, sponsored by Sturdy Savings Bank, on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Join MAC representatives, public officials, Mayor Ed Mahaney and the Cape Harmonaires at the gazebo for a round of Christmas carols. Old Saint Nick arrives at 7 p.m. and flips the switch to light thousands of bulbs on the giant 60-foot Christmas tree. Children can meet with Santa, sit on his lap and bring their Christmas lists. Warm beverages with freshly baked cookies are available in the Carriage House Tearoom & Café. The authentically-decorated 1879 Emlen Physick Estate complete with Victorian Christmas vignettes will be open for free, self-guided tours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event is free to the public.
Emlen Physick Estate Christmas Tours are offered daily during Holiday Preview Weekend. The Estate is decked out in authentic Victorian style. You will learn about Victorian Christmas decorations and traditions on this guided daytime tour. This tour can also be combined with a historic district trolley tour. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12). Tour times vary.
The wonders of the season are all on display for “An Old-Fashioned Christmas Exhibit: Holiday Traditions through the Years” at the Carriage House Gallery located on the grounds of the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Working LGB trains weave through a Christmas village, decorated trees and old-fashioned toys recreate the traditions of Christmas past. Christmas artifacts ranging from the Victorian era through today will be on display. Enjoy the images and traditions of the holidays and reminisce. The exhibit opens Friday, Nov. 19 and runs through Sunday, Jan. 2. The Gallery is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas); hours vary. Admission is free.
Be inspired by the holiday decorations and transformations at Cape May’s Designer Show House at Christmas. Discover Cape May’s sixth annual Designer Show House, the Fairthorne Cottage at 115 Ocean St., decorated for the holiday season by some of the region’s top designers. The home will be open for self-guided tours daily from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., plus Friday, Nov. 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Each visitor will receive a full-color program book with information about the designers, products and vendors. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12). Tours can be combined with lunch and dinner packages.
New in 2010! Start your holiday shopping early during the Holiday Preview Crafts Show on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Star of the Sea Parish Hall, Ocean St. above the Washington Street Mall. Find unique hand-made items and gifts from dozens of crafts vendors. Admission is $1 donation.
The holidays are the perfect time to indulge with food and wine events in Cape May. There is something to suit every taste.
Triple your wine experience this Holiday Preview Weekend. The Cape May Wine Weekend combines a Wine Tasting Dinner, a Winery Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting Class for a weekend of total indulgence. The weekend begins on Friday, Nov. 19 with a four-course dinner at the Washington Inn featuring wines themed to the Sunday Wine School Class. Guests will be treated to individual attention from the wine steward. On Saturday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m., visit the award-winning Cape May Winery for a tour of the vineyard, an introduction to the winemaker’s art, and a barrel tasting with cheese and fruit. On Sunday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m., learn the finer points of fine wines at a Wine School Class at the Washington Inn. The complete package is $135 per person.
The Winery Cellar Tour and Tasting on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. can be purchased separately from the Cape May Wine Weekend. Spend an afternoon touring the vineyard to see how the grapes are grown and then visit the winery, where you’ll be introduced to the winemaker’s art and enjoy a barrel tasting accompanied by cheese and fruit. Admission is $20 and includes a complimentary tasting glass.
The Cape May Wine School class on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St., can also be purchased separately from the Cape May Wine Weekend. This class’ topic is “Wines from the Iberian Peninsula- Spain and Portugal.” You will learn about pairings and how to discern and appreciate wines from Spain and Portugal in this informative class. Admission is $30.
If you would rather have a pint over a port, then the Mad Batter Beer School on Sunday, Nov. 21 is for you. The class at the Mad Batter, 19 Jackson St., will begin at 2 p.m. and the theme is Flying Fish, New Jersey’s Largest Craft Brewery. Learn about the world of Flying Fish Brewery, a little beer history, pairings and more. Admission is $25 per person and includes five samples of beer and light refreshments. The Bistro menu is also available at an additional charge.
Get into the holiday spirit with the Holiday Preview Wine Tasting Dinner. The dinner is held at the famous Mad Batter restaurant, 19 Jackson St., on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Kick-off the holiday season with a five-course dinner paired with wine tastings of the Mad Batter’s dueling sommeliers. You decide which wine you prefer with each course. Dinner is limited to 60 and admission is $75 (tax and gratuity included).
The Mad Batter restaurant, 19 Jackson St., is also host to the Holiday Cooking Class and Lunch on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. Join the chef from the Mad Batter for a quick class on cooking for the holidays. Admission is $45 (tax and gratuity included) and includes a light three-course lunch at the famous restaurant. Class size is limited to 30.
On Saturday, Nov. 20, board the MAC trolley for the Cape May Wine Trail. Spend the afternoon visiting Cape May County’s wineries and sampling the unique flavors of each. First enjoy lunch at the Carriage House Tearoom & Café and then take the trolley shuttle to the Cape May Winery, Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, where you’ll learn about viniculture and visit the tasting rooms. Admission is $75 per person and includes lunch, wine tastings at each vineyard and a wine tasting glass. The event runs from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
If you’d rather taste, sip and swirl at your own pace, then you’ll love the new Self-guided Wine Trail. Spend the afternoon touring Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery in Cape May County and taste wines at each. Admission is $8 and includes a map with the wineries listed, wine tastings at each vineyard and a wine tasting glass. Tours are offered daily from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Children can deliver their Christmas lists to Santa himself during Breakfast with Santa. On Saturday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m., visit the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., for a breakfast buffet the whole family can enjoy. Children get a chance to visit with Santa, bring him their Christmas lists and hear a Christmas story. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 3-10). Treats for the kids are included.
For a true taste of Cape May, take the Cape May Innteriors Tour and Tea on Saturday, Nov. 20. Sample the very best this city has to offer as you tour the interiors of four Victorian bed & breakfast inns and guesthouses, and enjoy a light afternoon tea at the Carriage House Tearoom and Café located at the Emlen Physick Estate. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12). The tour runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The feelings of yester-year and a delicious lunch are what you will experience on the Taste of Christmas Tour on Friday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. First, build up your appetite on a walking tour of Cape May’s Historic District dressed up for the holidays and then indulge with lunch at the famous Mad Batter Restaurant. Tours last about one hour. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12). Space is limited; advance reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets for the Historic District Walking Tour can be purchased separately for $10 (adults) and $7 (children ages 3-12).
A stylish way to get a taste of Cape May is with one of the Cape May Designer Show House at Christmas dining packages. On Friday, Nov. 19, combine a tour of Cape May’s 2010 Designer Show House, 115 Ocean St., decorated for Christmas with dinner at one of Cape May’s premier restaurants. The Cape May Designer Show House at Christmas Dinner Package features dinner at either Aleathea’s restaurant at the Inn of Cape May or Panico’s before a self-guided tour of the Show House. Guests seat at 5:30 p.m. and have the choice from several options on the early seating menu. After dinner, tour the Show House from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Packages are $45 per person and are inclusive of tax and gratuity.
The Cape May Designer Show House Luncheon Package is offered Friday, Nov. 19 and Saturday, Nov. 20. The package combines a tour of this year’s Cape May Designer Show House, 115 Ocean St., with a lunch at the Carriage House Tearoom & Café located on the grounds of the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Enjoy an elegant four-course Tea Luncheon at the Carriage House Tearoom & Café, before a self-guided tour of the Show House, which is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for tours. The tearoom is open from 11:30 a.m. Tea Luncheon/Tour tickets are $30 per person and are inclusive of tax and gratuity. Please call 609-884-5111, to reserve your seating at the Tearoom.
On Friday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m., catch the Spirit of Christmas Tour. Enjoy a charming Victorian holiday tale on an evening trolley ride through Cape May’s festive streets. Then, visit the authentically decorated Emlen Physick Estate for a living history holiday presentation. The tour includes a visit to the Carriage House for holiday refreshments and the Gallery exhibit “An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years.” Tours last about 2 hours. Admission is $18 for adults and $13 for children (ages 3-12).
A member of the East Lynne Theater Company regales you with a Victorian holiday ghost tale on the Ghosts of Christmas Past Trolley Rides on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 8:15 p.m. and 9 p.m. Ride through Cape May’s flickering gas-lit streets and admire the decorations in the Historic District as you listen to a Victorian-era ghost story. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12). Trolleys depart from the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.
The best way to see Cape May’s Christmas lights is aboard the heated Holiday Lights Trolley Ride. Board a MAC trolley, get cozy next to your loved ones and ride through Cape May’s Historic District to see cheerfully decorated inns and homes as guides talk about Victorian Christmas traditions, lead sing-alongs, and play Christmas music. Rides last about 30 minutes and cost $10 per seat. Your ticket is also good for a 10% discount at any of MAC’s Museum Shops. Tours are offered on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7:15 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. Trolleys depart from the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., on Saturday, Nov. 20 and from the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, Washington and Ocean streets, on Friday, Nov. 19.
Santa’s helpers have made a special trip to the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., to host Santa’s Trolley Rides on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Bring the kids to the Physick Estate on Holiday Preview Weekend for a ride around Cape May with stories and songs led one of Santa’s helpers. After the trolley ride, Santa will greet children with a sweet treat in the Carriage House located on the grounds of the Estate. All seats are $8. All trolleys depart from the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.
On Friday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Cape May Stage presents “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).” You’ve never seen Shakespeare like this – 37 plays and 154 sonnets by three actors in less than two hours! This fast-paced comedy offers a hilarious and irreverent take on the Bard’s timeless tales. Imagine portraying Titus Andronicus as a cooking show, Othello in old-school rap style and all of Shakespeare’s tragedies transformed into a giant football game. This zany tribute uses puns and pop culture to create a rollercoaster ride of a show that is hysterically funny and slightly naughty. Performances take place at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse, corner of Bank and Lafayette streets. General admission is $35, seniors $30 and students $12.50. The Saturday night performance is $40.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all.
For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.