Creating Christmas

MANATEE COUNTY — Growing up in New England, Sandy Stanford was surrounded by historic places and architecture.

So, when she moved to Florida, she lamented the area’s cookie-cutter homes and new-development feel.
Little did she know she’d one day help spread the holiday spirit while tapping into that love of history and heritage.

Each time Stanford and her husband, Leo, drove past the Manatee Village Historical Park, they talked about how they should visit one day. Three years later, they did.

“We came into the shop and a guy says, ‘Do you want to volunteer?’” Stanford says. “My husband didn’t know what to say, so he said yes.”

He became a docent and volunteered his wife to help decorate the park for Christmas. The task proved perfect for her.

“I thought, ‘This could really be something,’” Stanford says. “The next year, we did a fair — that’s what we do in New England. I love doing this.”

What started as decorating the Village’s church and store has turned into a project for the whole property, including the Stephens House, the schoolhouse and the courthouse, among other structures. Each receives a touch of Christmas spirit in preparation for the Village’s holiday open house, this year called “A 1914 Florida Cracker Christmas.” (See info box on opposite page.)

“It’s a lot of fun doing it,” Stanford says. “It gets people in the mood of Christmas.”

On a small budget, Stanford grows her holiday decoration little by little throughout the year; she purchases items at yard sales or on clearance. She stores many of the decorations at her home and keeps others at the park.

“It’s like playing with dolls,” Stanford says, adding the park is like a microcosm of the history she experienced in New England. “This is a chance to do five buildings. Wow, it’s great.”

She shrugs. Her family always decorated for the holidays, and her grandmother made wreaths for her church. It comes naturally, she says.

“I don’t think about,” Sanford says. “I just do it. It’s been a lot of fun just finding everything.”

IF YOU GO
A 1914 Florida Cracker Christmas
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 14

Where: Manatee Village Historical Park, 1404 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton

Admission: $5 (ages 12 and younger are free)

What: The entire park will be decorated in seasonal colors and Victorian accents. Enjoy family-friendly entertainment, heritage artisans, “make-and-take” crafts for adults and youth, seasonal exhibits, vintage silent films and a Victorian Santa — Father Christmas. Also, visit with arts, crafts and food vendors.

Information: manateeclerk/historical/manateevillage.aspx