Home for the Holidays open house at The Gables

SALEM — The House of the Seven Gables, especially beautiful on the holidays, welcomes the community to its annual and festive open house. Home for the Holidays, a popular tradition on the North Shore, is Sunday, December 11, from 2–4 p.m. All open house events are free. Phoenix A Cappella, a rousing all-female vocal group from Boston, will perform between 2 and 4, along with pianist Mark West. Families are invited to participate in hands-on history activities at the Living History Lab in the 1682 Hooper Hathaway House. Also scheduled are lots of fun crafts and games inspired by Caroline Emmerton’s 150th birthday celebration this year. And, once again, the Settlement Tree will be decked out with ornaments hand-crafted by Salem schoolchildren. Their decorations and ornaments are inspired by holiday traditions from around the world. Of special note is The Gables’ annual Four Centuries of Christmas tour. Visitors will learn about holiday traditions from Puritan New England through today. Ferreira Foods will have a pop-up cafe with delicious treats available for purchase. The House of the Seven Gables is located at 115 Derby St., Salem, Mass. Some parking is available. There are a few ways to make reservations: Visit www.7Gables.org and look for the online registration form; call 978-744-0991, ext. 104; or email groups@7gables.org.