ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - The holidays in Elk Grove take on a nostalgic hue each year during the Elk Grove Historical Society’s Old Fashioned Christmas celebration, immersing visitors in a vision of Christmas from over 150 years ago. 

At the Elk Grove House and Stage Stop Museum in Elk Grove Park, visitors have an opportunity to jump back in time to see how people from yesteryear celebrated the holiday season, take in a parade of glistening Christmas trees or take a moment to meet and snap a picture with the jolly old elf himself, Santa Claus. 

Together, the different features have melded into a fun and festive local Christmas event that Elk Grove Historical Society President Stan Lake said continues to grow year after year, adding new amenities, including a kids’ kitchen where children can bake and decorate Christmas cookies with their families. 

“It’s kind of gotten bigger and better than it has in the past,” Lake said.  “So far, even with the inclement weather, we have had good turnouts. Looking at our number this year compared to last year, we’re pretty ahead.” 

The event, which takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., Fridays through Sundays over a three-week period every December, finishes its final weekend run on Sunday. Admission is $10 per adult and $5 for children 16 and under.  

There are also close to 100 decorated Christmas trees that provide ample photo opportunities for families and friends and an artificial snow blower to set the holiday mood. 

Sinh Banh, an Elk Grove resident, attended the event with her family on Dec. 13 and watched her children smile as they danced through the artificial snow before snapping a few photos. Banh said she attended last year’s event and was adamant about returning. 

“We really loved it,” Banh said. “It’s a really fun, family event.” 

Likewise, Sean Alamares said he and his wife, Serena Alamares, brought their family to the event last year as well and decided to return. 

“My wife loves old-fashioned things, so we decided to come again,” Alamares said as his children, Maverick and Ace Alamares, created tree ornaments with their mother at the direction of Mrs. Claus. 

Inside the museum, each room is decorated to resemble different time periods stretching back to the Victorian Era. The effort, Lake said, is only possible due to local volunteers and businesses that donate their time and effort to get the event in order.

Elk Grove Historical Society volunteer Dinah Withrow offered her time to help decorate the Foulks House, the oldest home in Elk Grove, as a minimalistic depiction of how a soon-to-be Elk Grove resident would have spent their Christmas along with a few volunteers. 

“We are really trying to recreate 1854; that’s when the house was built,” Withrow said. “We tried to do all that we could find about those times. When they came, they didn’t have much money, so there were a lot of things like dried oranges, dried apples … we really tried to research what they would do.” 

Bill Buffington and his wife, Jan Buffington, whose parents would volunteer at the historic Rhoades Elementary School, attended the event on Dec. 13 and remarked on the effort put into the event. 

“They have done just a great job,” Bill Buffington said. “We can’t believe what they have done with all the lights and just all the decorations. Someone put a lot of work in.” 

Old Fashioned Christmas runs Dec. 20 to 22 at the Elk Grove House and Stage Stop Museum, 9941 E. Stockton Blvd.