Article Contributed by
Roger Tory Peterson Institute
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is celebrating the season this year by holding the first annual Holidays at the Lodge from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on two consecutive Saturdays, December 11 and 18.
Holidays at the Lodge promises to be a fun way for families to prepare for Christmas and offers a series of activities for kids of all ages. Among the activities will be bird ornament painting, ginger bird cookie decorating, Christmas story time, and visits with Santa Claus, himself. There will also be live holiday music (admission fee required) and free hot chocolate and cider.
To put everyone into the holiday spirit, RTPI has two Christmas trees and plentiful holiday decorations throughout the Lodge transforming an already beautiful space into a magical holiday venue.
Family activities on December 11 begin at noon with bird ornament decorating for kids, which goes until 2:00 p.m. Each participating child will be given two ornaments to decorate – one to take home, and one to hang on the Art & Nature Lab Christmas Tree. There are a limited number of bird ornaments available, so arrive early to ensure that your child has the opportunity to make an ornament for your tree.
Mr. Berry Christmas will come by at 1:00 p.m. to share holiday stories and then Santa Claus will be at RTPI from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to visit with the kids and hear all about the gifts they hope to find under the tree on Christmas morning.
In addition to free hot chocolate and cider on December 11, there will be complimentary samples of RTPI’s Morning Flicker coffee. This Smithsonian-certified bird-friendly coffee starts out as shade-grown organic coffee beans in Honduras. The beans are light roasted at Crown Street Roasting Company in Jamestown. The bags are compostable and feature a label designed by Erin Ruffino, a Chautauqua County artist and SUNY Fredonia grad. Like the taste of Morning Flicker? Take a bag or two home.
Family activities on December 18 include Ginger Bird Decorating from noon to 2:00 p.m. This holiday fun is edible. The cookie kits, provided by Elegant Edibles Catering of Jamestown, are limited. So, again, bring your kids early to ensure that they have a chance to decorate their own Ginger Bird.
Mr. Berry Christmas will return for story time at 1:00 p.m., and Santa will make one last appearance from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. before he returns to the North Pole to get ready for Christmas. Hot chocolate, cider, and Morning Flicker will once again be available.
In addition to the holiday activities, artists from Chautauqua County’s North Shore Arts Alliance will have plenty of original artworks available on both Saturdays to ensure that you can find just the right gift for yourself or a loved one.
All of the Holidays at the Lodge activities and programming, including the NSAA art show and sale, will be held in the Art & Nature Lab, and is free of charge for everyone. Holidays at the Lodge is sure to become a cherished, yearly tradition that will create lifelong memories.
RTPI’s Snowy Owl Museum store will also be well stocked for all of your holiday shopping needs, and will be offering 10% off all purchases (not including items from the NSAA) on both December 11 and 18.
In addition to the Holidays at the Lodge events, everyone is welcome to enjoy RTPI‘s current exhibition, Thomas D. Mangelsen: A LIFE IN THE WILD (tour managed by David J. Wagner L.L.C). This beautiful and uplifting exhibition includes 40 of master wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen’s most resonant images—images that take viewers on a journey into the haunts of iconic species whose struggles for survival are metaphorical fulcrums for reflection in the 21st century. The photographs are in large format and include incredible images of bald eagles, grizzly bears, polar bears, leopards, gorillas, and many more. The Mangelsen exhibition is separate from Holidays at the Lodge and does require an admission fee.
In addition to the exhibition, there will be live holiday music in the library gallery (admission required) from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on both Saturdays provided by John Cross and Friends.
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is located at 311 Curtis St. in Jamestown, NY. Visit www.RTPI.org for a detailed list of upcoming events and for more information. RTPI is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and from 1pm to 5pm on Sundays. Monday and Tuesday RTPI is open by appointment only. To make an appointment, call 716-665-2473.
