How to Step Back in Time: Once Upon a Christmas at Heritage Park

The scent of cinnamon and hot apples fills the air as the door opens to the Burnside Ranch House at Heritage Park. Ah, the comfort of an old-fashioned Christmas! To the left, a lady dressed in 1900’s period clothing plays the piano and another diligently works on her needlepoint. Slowly, the needle moves in and through the fabric to create a prairie masterpiece. A perfect picture of preparations for the holidays over a century ago in a Canadian ranch house. Music, crafts, fresh baking and hot, mulled cider await a family coming in from the cold.

The Traditions of Christmas

I love Christmas! I always have. The traditions, food, decorations, spending time with loved ones and candlelight Christmas Eve services are a special time to cherish each year. In this day and age, commercialism is the focus of every holiday, including Christmas. Buy, buy, buy! But what are you buying and what for? What is the meaning behind the gifts you are giving?

Giving and receiving gifts is a good thing. God loves the heart of a cheerful giver. Thankfully, events like Once Upon a Christmas help us to reflect and embrace the true holiday spirit so we can prepare our hearts for Christmas day. Famous acting coach, Stella Adler said, “Christmas is now all about buying and selling. We accept this. People are delighted when Christmas comes, but they have no idea what Christmas is. The symbol, the creche, has been left out. We lose the meaning of our lives.” Do you agree with Stella? Have we lost the meaning of our lives and of Christmas?

Heritage Park

Heritage Park holds a special place in my heart. I completed my internship at the Park as a Group Tourism Assistant. The time, effort and dedication put into running this magnificent outdoor museum is exemplary. The attention to detail in the costumes is second to none. For example, authenticity is of upmost importance to the Park so the proper historical environment is displayed. From the shoes, to the hats to the pins you can use in your hair, everything must be true to the early 1900s of Canadian culture. Heritage Park is taking a step back in time to see what it was like to be an early Canadian settler on the prairies. Escape the hustle and bustle of today and settle into small-town early Western Alberta.

Decorating for the Season

The Prince House, the Thorpe House, the Ranch House and the Famous 5 Centre of Canadian Women are the four main houses that are decorated for the season. All four are unique but stay true to decorations of the period. The Famous 5 is the only house where you can sit on the furniture. The Edwardian-Style Christmas theme of the house makes you feel right at home. Thorpe House has a Scandinavian theme with Norwegian baking on the table brought in by volunteers. The Ranch House has women working in the kitchen baking and making mulled cider. A true reflection of a simple prairie Christmas from long ago. The Prince House replicates how Christmas was celebrated by the elite and wealthy families of the day. An extravagant table setting shows how different courses were served in elegant Christmas style.

St. Martin’s Church

My favourite stop as we made our way through town was St. Martin’s Church. This tiny, inviting chapel has a hot, wood-burning stove to warm the guests, organist and carolers. Guest parishioners are invited to pick a favourite Christmas carol from the little red hymn book for all to join in and sing. The old pump organ belted out “What Child This?”, “Away in a Manger”, and “O, Come All Ye Faithful” while the congregation of about 15 people joined in. The lyrics of the carols portrayed the true theme of Christmas. Some stellar singers in the group produced a choir that brought smiles to everyone in the church.

A Live Christmas Play

Taking in a Christmas Eve play was a tradition in the early days. This custom was brought to life in a 35-minute musical titled, “A Ragtime Christmas” performed at the Canmore Opera House. Prepare to be whisked away to Maxi’s Music Hall back in 1920. The Canmore Opera House is an original, newly renovated building. During its heyday in the early 1900s, the Canmore Opera House hosted a variety of events including lavish dances, plays and concerts. As a result, it was the most popular place for entertainment in the Canadian Rockies. Even Hollywood entertainers to the likes of Jack Benny and Ginger Rogers drove to Canmore to see the world’s only log opera house.

Trains and Miniatures

Barons Snooker Parlour hosts a Christmas train display by the Rocky Mountain Garden Railroaders. This display is immense and puts a grin on young and old alike. The train sets are fully operational and make their way around the parlour through a fairytale Christmas land. If you love trains and miniatures, you can’t miss this display.

Horse-drawn Wagon Rides

The horse-drawn wagon rides are the most popular event at the Park. There is always a line-up to have the majestic draft horses pull you through the Park on a leisurely excursion. We stood in line but my ill-equipped boots became wet in the snow causing my feet to freeze. Sadly, I had to miss the horse ride. Consequently, standing there longer would have resulted in numb blocks of ice that were previously feet.

Fresh Baking for Christmas

Don’t forget to stop at the Alberta Bakery where you can buy fresh baked goods from bread to butter tarts to cinnamon buns. Did you know butter tarts are a Canadian recipe? The first butter tart recipe was recorded in a cookbook in 1915. I am often asked what a unique Canadian food is. This is a tough question as much of our food has influence from European sources. Now I know the answer, thanks to Heritage Park. Butter tarts! If you have never had a butter tart, you are missing out. Butter tarts are a little piece of heavenly pie wrapped up in flaky pastry with a syrupy, brown sugar filling. Raisins or pecans can be added to the filling.

Vintage Christmas Shopping

Do you want to do some unique Christmas shopping? The Haskayne Mercantile Block is open for business. That is to say, there is something for everyone, whether you want to pick up some Canadiana-type gifts for loved ones overseas (that’s what I did!) or buy some antiques to decorate your own home for a Canadian old-fashioned Christmas. You must try the pure, soft maple sugar candy. It melts in your mouth like buttery sweet-shamefulness. Fudge is made daily and different flavours are served on different days. The jalapeno chocolate fudge is a treat of great expectations. The odd combination is not hot but there is a hint of the jalapeno spiciness that melds perfectly with the chocolate.

Where to Stay

So Much to See and Do

There are so many ways to experience the magic of Christmas past at this fantastic attraction. Buy some old-style ‘penny’ candy at the Claresholm General Store. Take in a holiday printing demonstration at the Strathmore Standard. Check out the vintage gifts for someone special. Interact at the Weedon School in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas story. As you can see, there is something for every age group at Once Upon a Christmas.

Spend a Day Outdoors at Heritage Park

Prepare your heart for Christmas and spend a day outdoors at Heritage Park in Calgary. Expect to spend at least three hours to treat your friends and family to Once Upon a Christmas. Heritage Park is open Saturdays and Sundays from November 24, 2018 – December 23, 2018, and the hours are 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Admission is very reasonable at $11 per person (2018 rates for adults). Dress warm, wear good winter boots and step back into your Canadian prairie roots to celebrate this Christmas in the unique historical village known as Heritage Park. Be inspired to make this holiday season the best ever. Merry Christmas!

All pictures in this post are taken by Charlotte, yours truly, as always, unless otherwise stated.