Come celebrate the beauty of the changing seasons and the passage of time during this special community day from 1:00-5:00 pm on Saturday, December 19th.

Did you know 2026 was the 200th anniversary of the artist Frederic Church’s birth? Close out our celebratory year, welcome winter, and reflect on the past by participating in free seasonal artmaking and storytelling, access to Olana’s historic interiors, and a festive bonfire!

Events throughout the day include:

• An afternoon bonfire
• Free access to Olana’s historic interiors
• Free Photobooth
• Family-Friendly Book Reading
• Pets of the Past Costume Contest
• Collaborative Artmaking with Super Stories
• Traveling Winter Performers
• Special Flashback Set with DJ Jared
• Refreshments for purchase provided by Citiot and others
• Artmaking activities led by The Olana Partnership Educators & artitsts
• And more!

11:30 AM – 4:00 PM

• Free Access to Olana’s Historic Interiors
  • Learn more about the site’s history during self-guided exploration. First come, first served; space is limited

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

• Special Flashback Set with DJ Jared
  • Celebrate the season with hits from every era
• Artist Led Activities
  • Head indoors to the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape to join a special art activity designed by artist Gabriela Salazar and led by The Olana Partnership educators
• Traveling Winter Performers
  • Improvisational performers from Definitely Human Theater will bring the spirit of winter to life with special interactive performances throughout the afternoon

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

• Outdoor Bonfire
  • Gather round this annual tradition and keep warm
  • As part of the celebration, wooden remnants from Gabriela Salazar’s artwork, A Measure of Comfort (Cord) will be burned, marking a final farewell to the piece that was included in What’s Missing?, onsite at Olana from 2025-2026
•  Hot Drinks and Snacks for Purchase
  • Purchase hot beverages to stay warm, provided by Citiot (Catskill, NY) and Klocke Estate (Claverack, NY)

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

• Free Photobooth
  • Get your picture taken in the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape

1:30 PM & 3:30 PM

• Family Friendly Book Reading
  • During two outdoor readings by children’s author Carole Lindstrom will read a selection of her bestselling titles about Indigenous cultural practice throughout time and today

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

• Collaborative Art Making with Super Stories
  • Join Grace Lang of Super Stories (Kinderhook, NY), which focuses on community storytelling through public art and educational workshops, for collaborative activities about memory and the passage of time

3:00 PM

• Pets of the Past Costume Contest
  • Get nostalgic and dress your furry friend like a favorite historical figure or time period to win a special Olana prize

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

• Closing Ceremony with Artist Gabriela Salazar:
  • Say goodbye to fall and hello to winter during this special closing led by artist Gabriela Salazar

Frederic Edwin Church, Winter Twilight from Olana, c. 1871-1872. Oil on academy board, 10 1/16 x 13 inches. New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Olana State Historic Site, OL.1976.4

Images: Jonathan Palmer and Mike Lawrie