Offering one of the largest holiday displays in the Southeast United States, Biltmore House and the surrounding 8,000 acres of the estate will celebrate its annual ‘Christmas at Biltmore’ event from November 6 until January 2, 2010.
George Washington Vanderbilt first opened Biltmore House to family and friends 114 years ago this Christmas Eve.
As in years past, this year’s event will feature 100 decorated Christmas trees; hundreds of wreaths and bows; hundreds of poinsettias; 30,000 lights in the house and another 150,000 lights around the estate; 10,000 feet of fresh garland; and more than 25,000 ornaments.
Biltmore House’s holiday centerpiece, a 34-foot Fraser fir, will be found in the 72-foot high Banquet Hall, adorned with lights and surrounded by hundreds of brightly packaged gift boxes. The Biltmore House front lawn will feature a lighted 55-foot Norway spruce, surrounded by eight “islands” of smaller lighted trees and nursery shrubs.
In daytime, the Christmas at Biltmore event includes tours of Biltmore House, the gardens, the winery (including a complimentary wine tasting), and River Bend Farm and barnyard. Inside Biltmore House, the banquet hall organ will play music of the season.
The Candlelight Christmas Evenings events require separate entry In these events, luminaries and a brilliant display of twinkling lights on the Front Lawn set the tone for tours of Biltmore House. New this year will be ballroom dancers in vintage costume in the Winter Garden.
A story teller will read from traditional holiday tales such as “The Little Match Girl,” “The Gift of the Magi” and Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Choirs will perform European carols, with musicians providing seasonal music.
The restoration and preservation of the Louis XV Suite in Biltmore House has inspired this year’s holiday decor theme.
Biltmore House and estate, the United States' largest home and the most famous legacy of George W. Vanderbilt, holds a two-month series of daily 'Christmas at Biltmore' events annually around Thanksgiving, Christmas and the festive season. The house and estate are decorated with some 180,000 lights and 100 Christmas trees for the season. Source: Biltmore
Biltmore staff will give free holiday seminars on how to create Vanderbilt-inspired decorations for visitors’ own homes. Reservations for the seminars are not required but space may be limited so guests should arrive early. Here is the seminar schedule:
● Deck the Halls, daily, November 6-November 22: Biltmore’s Floral Displays staff will give decorating tips for the home at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Biltmore House Library Den;
● Centerpieces for Holiday Entertaining, daily, November 6-January 2: at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at A Gardener’s Place in the Conservatory;
● Decorating a Christmas Wreath, daily, November 6-January 2: Learn how to turn an ordinary silk Christmas wreath into an elegant and interesting design. At 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at A Gardener’s Place in the Conservatory; and
● Red Wine and Chocolate, daily, Nov. 6-Jan. 2: Discover how well chocolate and red wine go together by pairing Biltmore Estate wine with several varieties of chocolate. At 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Winery.
Biltmore says “Family” is an unofficial theme at the house and estate this year, because two generations of the Vanderbilt family were born in one of four rooms that opened to the public in Biltmore House in 2009 for the first time.
Elsewhere in the estate, Biltmore Winery offers self-guided tours and complimentary wine tastings. Santa Claus will visit River Bend Barn on Saturdays from November 7 to December 20. Visitors can dine on festive food at Bistro, Deerpark Restaurant, Stable Cafe or The Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate.
For visitors looking to extend their stay at Biltmore, the four-star Inn offers several packages for holidays, including special New Year’s Eve packages.
Biltmore also offers retail shops, horse and carriage rides (blankets provided) and acres of landscaped gardens to explore.
Located in Asheville, North Carolina, Biltmore was the vision (and home) of George W. Vanderbilt. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, America’s largest home is a 250-room French Renaissance chateau, exhibiting the Vanderbilt family’s original collection of furnishings, art and antiques.
Biltmore estate encompasses more than 8,000 acres including renowned gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, famous as the father of American landscape architecture and as the designer of New York’s Central Park and Prospect Park, as well as many other landscaping achievements.
To learn more about Biltmore, visit www.biltmore.com or call 877-BILTMORE.
Related to this story:
- Festive-Season Activities Begin at Biltmore House and Estate
- Biltmore Unveils its 2010 Christmas-Season Program
- New York City Announces its Festive-Season Highlights for 2010
- Biltmore Details Schedule for 25th Annual ‘Festival of Flowers’ Events
- Carlson Opens New Country Inn Near Asheville’s Biltmore Estate
