Carriage Rides, Local Gifts, Lantern Tours at Holiday Open House

Ride a horse and carriage, buy local gift items, go on a lantern tour and more at the Holiday Open House in Little Compton on Monday.

Several events will be held throughout the day during the second year of the Holiday Open House at the Little Compton Historical Society.

“We probably had several hundred people stop by last year,” said Little Compton Historical Society Director Marjory O’Toole. “There’s quite a lot of things going on.”

Several local vendors will be selling items including locally produced honey, soaps, lip balm, hair accessories, antique french linen, a brand new photo book featuring local farms, hand made fabric gifts and more.

The event kicks off at 1 p.m. and will last until 7 p.m. at Little Compton Historical Society, 548 W Main Road.

Gift items that can only be purchased in Little Compton will be for sale such as a Wilbur High School Tee Shirt and a Peggotty Bow Tie.

“It’s a nice opportunity for people to come and to pick up a locally-connected gift,” O’Toole said.

Groups of up to five or six can be pulled by horses in carriages. The Jingle Bell Carriage Rides by Little Compton Carriages will be available from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $5 per person for a 10-minute-long ride. “It’s a nice family thing to do,” O’Toole said. “The carriage rides were popular last year and we expect them to be again.”

Attendees can take a free tour of the Wilbor museum archival storage area led by O’Toole starting at 1 p.m.

Preschoolers, accompanied by a parent, can participate in a tour of the house that incorporates the senses including touch, smell and feel. “The kids can touch and feel things that help them understand the past,” O’Toole said.

Tour fees are $5 per family and free to Little Compton Historical Society members.

Find out how Little Compton’s ancestors lived in the Wilbor House before there was electricity during the lantern tours at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. “The tours are really fun,” O’Toole said. “People get to see what the house is like in the dark and it really helps you understand the issues people in the past had with the dark and the cold.”

Santa may make an appearance at the Holiday Open House at 4 p.m. and hot drinks will be served by Gray’s Daily Grind, a Westport coffee shop.

For more information, contact the Little Compton Historical Society.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock