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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Christmas at the Nelimark

Weekend events here are always a warm and inviting place

Jodi Summit
Posted 11/20/19

EMBARRASS- You’re always going to see old friends at a visit to the annual Christmas gatherings at the Nelimark Homestead Museum. But when the historic homestead opens for two holiday weekend …

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Christmas at the Nelimark

Weekend events here are always a warm and inviting place

Posted

EMBARRASS- You’re always going to see old friends at a visit to the annual Christmas gatherings at the Nelimark Homestead Museum. But when the historic homestead opens for two holiday weekend events, you just might make some new friends as well.
Perhaps, that’s what keeps people returning year after year.
“There was a line of people waiting outdoors a half an hour before we opened the first Friday,” said artisan Cindy Scherer, who was volunteering at the museum checkout.
Those first in line get the best selection of the home-baked treats. Besides all the baked goods, the event offers an opportunity to find some well-crafted gifts, Finnish items, and books (a great selection of Finnish-themed books for all ages). There’s coffee an’ featuring dozens of holiday treats to choose from, as well as hot cider.
Tana Johnson, of Embarrass, made her first visit to the Homestead Christmas event, this year titled “Hyvaa Joulua,” or Happy Christmas in Finnish. She filled up her shopping basket with fresh-baked holiday baked goods, along with some unique gift items.
Jean Taylor and Deb Shaw, both members of the Farmstead Artisans group, were enjoying all the visitors wandering through.
“We would help out here anyway,” they both said. “It’s a great way to meet people and learn about our history.”
Artisan member Jeannine Bjornrud was having a spirited discussion with a brand-new friend, Howard Heath, from Aurora, who had come with his wife to check out the Nelimark. You never would have guessed the two had just met, and of course, they found out they had plenty of mutual friends.
Gary Rantala, who teaches a conversational Finnish group at the Nelimark in the summer, was working on reading aloud a children’s book, in Finnish, working out the meanings of some unusual words with help from another Finnish speaker.
The Nelimark is owned by Sisu Heritage Inc., a non-profit that works to restore and maintain historic buildings in Embarrass. The Nelimark, whose sauna is listed on the National Historic Register, is open Thursday through Saturday in the summer, allowing visitors to tour the historic farmstead and its outbuildings, as well as purchase locally-made crafts, including holiday décor, gifts items, and jewelry. The artists, part of the Farmstead Artisans group, help staff the building in the summer. The group also opens the Nelimark up for two ever-popular weekend events every fall.
If you missed getting out to the Nelimark earlier this month, you have one more chance this year when it opens on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

nelimark, christmas