Dunham Farms to Host Magical Holiday Festival of Lights & Music

MIDWAY, Ga., Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunham Farms, one of the Georgia coast's most scenic and historic destinations, presents its first-annual Holiday Festival of Lights & Music on December 4 & 11, 3:30-9:30 pm. The event features traditional country delights—hay rides and square dancing—along with sophisticated entertainment, including performances by jazz legend Ben Tucker. The festival promises something for everyone: guided tours of the property's historic buildings, model railroad displays, holiday carols, Christmas trees, delicious food and the breathtaking sight of centuries old moss-dappled oaks decorated with thousands of twinkling lights. General admission is only $10 with discounts available for students, seniors and children.

"Everyone needs an infusion of joy, music, beauty and laughter in their lives—especially in trying times," says owner Laura Devendorf, whose family has been a steward of the land that includes Dunham Farms since 1755, when it was granted to them by King George II. "Our property has a magical quality at any time of year, but this festival will be truly spectacular—a moment of pure delight to lift hearts and bring people together to see and hear and feel."

The $10 general admission fee includes access to the light show and grounds, as well as to the model railroad displays on loan from the Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club, tours of the circa 1840's Palmyra Plantation Cottage and Barn, and concerts by Savannah-based jazz legend Ben Tucker.

For an additional $2, guests can enjoy an authentic plantation-style hay ride; an additional $15 allows access to a guided house tour, where noted musician Chris Kohut will dazzle guests with a virtuoso lute performance by firelight. The hour-long house tours will explore the fascinating history and legends of the structure, built on the foundations of the original 1755 home.

At the food service area, guests can sample traditional Hoppin' John—a delicious, nutty-flavored rice-and-beans dish—made with endangered Seminole peas grown right on the property.

All proceeds from the Holiday Festival of Lights & Music benefit nearby Seabrook Village, the first African-American living history museum in the South.

For more information, visit http://www.dunhamfarms.com/holiday_festival.html or call (912) 880-4500.

SOURCE Dunham Farms