Holiday Candlelight Tours and Family Plantation Christmas - THIS weekend!

Our TWO BIG holiday weekend events are happening this weekend!

The Holiday Candlelight Tours - "Sotterley Under Siege!"

This Friday and Saturday only from 6pm - 10pm.

Each tour within the historic Mansion runs approximately 30 minutes; tours run every 10 minutes. This event requires advanced reservations, so please call the office at 301-373-2280 or 800-681-0850 to book your tour time now.

Sotterley is under siege by the British occupation. The family is determined to hold their annual holiday celebration no matter what! Family and friends join the Platers for a very entertaining evening which will be quite different than holiday celebrations experienced in previous years. Join the Sotterley Players as we step back in time and witness for yourself the unfolding dramatic holiday events. Live musical performances from local premiere high school choral groups and complimentary cookies will be available in the historic Barn, prior to the reserved tour time.

Family Plantation Christmas

Saturday, December 5th from 10am - 4 pm

Admission: $5.00 per person (Children under 2 Free)

This is a full day of fun for the whole family!

Take a horse-drawn taxi ride from stop to stop!

Visit Santa and Mr. Claus!

Kids shop at Santa's Secret Shop!

Parents shop at the Sotterley Museum Shop!

The 12 Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt in the garden and win a prize!

Check out the John Deere train display and a selection of trucks and tractors!

See the dramatic production of "Mammy Reminiscence!"

Sing along with the caroling Girl Scouts!

Put on your best festive face with face painting!

Make seasonal Crafts to take home!

Holiday Greens Sale!

Bake Sale!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Make Family Plantation Christmas part of YOUR holiday traditions!

With the jingling of bells, the Clydesdale horses from Suttler Farm will taxi merry-makers around Sotterley’s Family Plantation Christmas event, making stops at various locations for children of all ages to enjoy: whisper your wishes into Santa’s ear, meet Mrs. Claus - the ultimate “hostess with the most-est", write a letter to Santa with your full list, sing along with the caroling Girl Scouts, have your face festively painted, purchase gifts for family and friends at Santa’s Secret Shop, make holiday crafts to take home, and find the finds of the Twelve Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt in the Sotterley gardens and receive a PRIZE! Stop in at the Customs Warehouse and learn what plantation life was like from the slave’s perspective, in the-back-by-popular-demand performance of “Mammy Reminiscence,” by Sandi English and her daughter Liana. Before leaving, don't forget to purchase the gorgeous handmade greens from The Sotterley Guild.

This IS the perfect family tradition!

Sotterley Under Siege!

The British have occupied Sotterley Plantation and are celebrating in the Mansion, but the owners have found a creative way to stay in their home ... and I do mean CREATIVE!

Come and see how the drama unfolds during the 2009 Holiday Candlelight Tours! Every holiday season, visitors are transported back in time to a different era, this year's being The War of 1812. This historical dramatization takes place within the Mansion, which dates back to 1703.

Advanced Reservations are REQUIRED - no ticket sales at the door.

DATES: December 4 & 5th 6pm - 10 pm; tours are 30 minutes in length and run every 10 minutes.

Price: $15 per person.

301-373-2280 or 800-681-0850

No refunds. This is a fund-raising event, helping to keep Sotterley Plantation open to the public.

Employment Opportunity - become part of the tapestry

Education Instructors sought for the Spring 2010. Flexible hours with compensation. Training begins in January. If interested, please contact Carolyn Hoey, Education Director at 301-373-2280 or via email: education@sotterley.org.

Sotterley Plantation is an amazing place. Being part of its continuing history as an employee and a volunteer, I feel completely honored and grateful. From the very first moment I set foot on the grounds for the Holiday Candlelight Tours six years ago, I felt an immediate connection - a sense of place. Pretty incredible how things work out! There are so many people involved in keeping this place open and accessible to the public, who believe in the importance of preserving a significant part of the Southern Maryland tapestry, who believe that much can be learned from the past ensuring that the same mistakes are not repeated in the future, who believe in nurturing the spirit of community and connectedness. That all being said, how about becoming a vital part of communicating our rich history?

"Thank You" from the Executive Director

Community involvement is the heart of any non-profit. Those willing to participate in its offerings and programs are of course critical to its health and success, but every bit as critical is the volunteer support that makes these offerings possible. Sotterley Plantation has been blessed with the best volunteers in Southern Maryland, from its Garden Guild, Interpreters, Museum Shop workers, Hospitality Team, WineFest and Garden Fair committee members, office volunteers, event volunteers and more. We could not keep our doors open without each and every one.

Special thanks need to be given to a very special group that recently went the extra mile for Sotterley, and beyond. The Ghosts of Sotterley cast and crew exemplified what it means to be a truly selfless volunteer during the 2009 tour event. Under the talented leadership of Producer/Lead Director Dawna Diaz, Technical Director and wizard Ming Diaz, Production Assistant/Assistant Director James LePore, Writer Morriah Cell, Assistant Director Danyel McAllister, Makeup Supervisor Michael Conlon, and Stage Manager Anne Schwartz, this talented team of about 40 people met for months each and every week to fine tune what was undoubtedly our best production to date.

The event weekend provided further challenges as the weather turned cold and rainy for all three days, but tour after tour, the actors and crew endured daunting conditions along their stations on the grounds of Sotterley. They never wavered in their efforts to provide a first class production for our guests. Sotterley event volunteers who came specifically to work the Ghost Tour weekend also graciously worked under the less than ideal conditions, and the event could certainly not have taken place without their support.

Each volunteer for the Ghosts of Sotterley Tours knew that this event provides critical operational funds for Sotterley, and that their actions would make a very real difference to the site. My heart swells with pride as I think that Sotterley has been lucky enough to have these wonderful volunteers as our best faces and supporters for this event. May I offer my heartfelt thanks to every one of you, and the thanks of the entire Sotterley staff and Board of Trustees.

Also, I want to offer my thanks to all those in the community who braved the elements to come and see The 2009 Ghost Tours. You made this event a success and the efforts of all of our many volunteers worth it, and Sotterley offers its thanks to you as well.

With utmost gratitude,
Nancy Easterling
Executive Director

Call for Volunteers, Cookies, and Bake Sale Items!

Dear Sotterley Volunteers,

Our Holiday Candlelight Tours will be held on December 4 and 5, from 6:00pm - 10:00pm. Family Plantation Christmas will be held 10:00am - 4:00pm on Saturday, December 5. We still have plenty of openings for volunteers to work at both Family Plantation Christmas and Candlelight Tours. If you are interested, please give me a call or email me at volunteer@sotterley.org.

At the Candlelight Tours we give Holiday Cookies and Apple Cider to our guests. We are in need of cookie donations for this event. The cookies can be home-made or store-bought. If you are able to donate Holiday Cookies, please email me at volunteer@sotterley.org. NEW this year, we will have a Bake Sale during the Holiday events. Sotterley's Event Manager, Linda Tucker and her mother, Carole will be heading up this bake sale. We are asking for donations for the Bake Sale such as cakes, pies, bread, etc. We would like to get a response for that as well, so we know how much to expect. Thank you all for your donations and support of Sotterley, we hope to see you at the Holiday events!

Brenda Evans
Historic Sotterley, Inc.

Only One Month Away!

Kick-off the holiday season with a historical dramatization of life at Sotterley during The War of 1812 in the Holiday Candlelight Tours at Sotterley Plantation, December 4th & 5th from 6 p.m.–10 p.m. The tours takes place inside the over 300 year old historic Mansion, which will graced with period decorations.

Sotterley is under siege by the British occupation. The family is determined to hold their annual holiday celebration no matter what! Family and friends join the Platers for a very entertaining evening which will be quite different than holiday celebrations experienced in previous years. Join the Sotterley Players as we step back in time and witness for yourself the unfolding dramatic holiday events.

Live musical performances from local premiere high school choral groups and complimentary cookies will be available in the historic Barn, prior to the reserved tour time.

The cost is $15 per person. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED! Call 301-373-2280 to make your reservation at this Sotterley Plantation annual holiday event or for further information. Visit www.sotterley.org for more details.