“We want it to feel like joy, excitement, hearth, family, grandma’s house, snow covered roads, falling asleep in the backseat and waiting up for Santa for EVERYONE, no matter their age.” – Rachel Warner-Baker
That one line captures the heart of what is happening at The Cedars Farm this season. A historic property that spent years sitting vacant is now coming back to life in the most joyful ways a community could hope for.
The Cedars is a historic property, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The 12 acres include the home, an almost 20,000 square foot barn, a smaller barn, a historic log cabin and a large detached garage. The original house was built in 1881 and has been home to authors and diplomats, among others. Jayson Baker and Rachel Warner-Baker purchased the property this past spring after it had sat mostly vacant over the last few years. When they moved in there was a leaking roof and a host of other issues that needed immediate attention. Once the urgent repairs were done, the conversation shifted to the fun part. It turns out the fun part included transforming the entire farm into a nostalgic Christmas destination.
A Holiday Experience for Every Age
Visitors can expect a full weekend of activities across the farm. The decorated barn will hold the Kriskindlmarkt, concessions, a mercantile, picnic tables and plenty of activities for kiddos. The historic log cabin will become Santa’s North Pole Home where guests can have their photos taken with Santa. The small barn will turn into Rudolph’s Petting Zoo. There will be a snowmaker with a sledding hill and snow play area if the weather cooperates, and the long range forecast is looking good. Bonfires, sweet and savory s’more kits, games, thousands of Christmas lights, a Lumberjack Axe Throwing Competition, Mrs. Claus’s Magic Kitchen, hay rides in a beautiful parade wagon and live trees for sale are all part of the weekend lineup.
Where the Idea Began
The plan for Christmas at The Cedars started almost by accident. “One of my best friends, Abby, was exploring the barn with me and we came across a giant Christmas tree sealed in a wooden box. She threw out the idea, ‘Christmas at The Cedars’, and since it’s my favorite time of year, I was automatically on board,” says Rachel. From there the vision grew quickly. “Jayson is always down for new adventures and does anything he can to make my dreams come true, so he also had ideas on how to make it bigger and better (like the snowmaker)… and here we are, less than 8 weeks later, about to host the community.”
Christmas at The Cedars is also a tribute to someone very special. “To me it’s also a bit of a nod to my Nana, who passed away a few years ago,” Rachel remembers. “She made Christmas magical when I was young, it was her favorite time of year and she passed that down to my mom and then to us siblings. That’s why our goal is to have an old-fashioned, family Christmas experience. We want to bring back that nostalgia for everyone who visits. Whether it’s the Christmas you had as a kid, or the one you want to create for your own family.”
She added one of the most heartfelt visions of the event. “As we age, the remark you hear more and more is ‘Christmas doesn’t feel the same as it used to…’. We want it to feel like joy, excitement, hearth, family, grandma’s house, snow covered roads, falling asleep in the backseat and waiting up for Santa for EVERYONE, no matter their age.”
The Kriskindlmarkt
Their Kriskindlemarkt has roots in tradition. “Our Kriskindlmarkt is again inspired by my Nana, who was from Germany. It’s historically a European outdoor vendor market that takes place during the advent season,” Rachel explains. At The Cedars it will be semi indoors, in the barn, turning each stall into its own little shop. Visitors will find arts, handcrafted items, foods, woodwork, Christmas items, jewelry, personal items and gifts. Dozens of vendors will be bringing their best for guests. The Cedars Mercantile inside the barn will also be open with Christmas gift items, souvenirs and goodies for kids, along with concessions featuring food, drinks and items from Manic Espresso.
The Activity Everyone Is Talking About
“We are DEFINITELY most excited about our snow maker. We have a sledding hill and snow play area planned. We are all praying those nights are cold enough before the event to make a lot of snow,” Rachel says.
The Rewarding Part of the Work
Pulling this event together has been a true community effort. “The most rewarding part of bringing Christmas at The Cedars to life has been doing this event with my family and friends. It’s been really fun all working together, brainstorming, decorating, etc. I can’t believe how many people have stepped up and volunteered their time to make this happen,” Rachel explains, noting most events of this scale take over a year to plan, yet they are bringing this one to life in under ten weeks because of the help they have received.
Visit Details
Christmas at The Cedars will be open Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. A two acre lot next to the front gate will be available for public parking. Admission is $15 per guest ages 10 and up, $12 per guest ages 3 – 9, and free for children 2 and under, and includes nearly everything except food, drinks and personal purchases. “We want families to come and be able to spend the day having fun together,” Rachel emphasizes. Visitors are encouraged to dress warm and “remember to look adorable for your photos with Santa.” No outside animals will be allowed on the farm for the safety of guests and animals.
The Cedars Farm is located at 352 Hemlock Ave East in Alderson.
What Comes Next for The Cedars
Rachel says the plan is to make Christmas at The Cedars bigger, brighter, and even more epic each year: “We are definitely planning on making Christmas at The Cedars a yearly event. We will most likely add more weekends in the future years and continue to add to our lights show, grow our concessions, add more activities and keep everyone wondering how we could make it even better each year. Each year we want CaTC to grow larger and larger and become more and more epic.”
They are also receiving interest in weddings, receptions and other events as excitement builds around the barn renovation. Event hosting is something they will consider in the coming year.
Rachel added one final hint. “I can’t confirm anything right now… But I CAN say, while MY favorite season is Christmas, Jayson’s favorite season is DEFINITELY Autumn. So keep following The Cedars Farm to see what the future brings.”
A Christmas They Hope You Will Remember
For Rachel, the hope is simple: that the community feels the love behind every detail. “We have put a lot of heart and time into Christmas at The Cedars. I truly think everyone will be impressed at the scale of the event that has been created, and we hope that everyone brings their family and stays for an afternoon (or two!) and that we can share our big, fun, old fashioned, family Christmas at The Cedars with everyone in the community.”
