Holiday Gathering at Heller Homestead Set for Dec. 2

The Saucon Valley Conservancy will hold its annual Holiday Gathering on Monday, Dec. 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Heller Homestead, 1890-92 Friedensville Road, Bethlehem.

Heller Homestead docents, dressed in vintage clothing, will take visitors on a “Journey through Time—Room by Room” tour of the homestead during the event. Rooms with period furnishings include a 1950s kitchen, a 1930s living room, a 1900s bedroom, and an 1880s Victorian parlor. Decorated Christmas trees will be on display, reflecting the progression of ornamentation available to German families throughout the years.

Paintings by Lehighton artist Betty Knesevitch will be on display in the homestead's first floor gallery, and the artist will be honored at a reception that will be held in conjunction with the holiday gathering.

An impressionist watercolorist, Knesevitch says she loves the spontaneity and jewel-like hues of her medium. She has studied with nationally-known artists such as Frank Webb, Skip Lawrence, Don Andrews and Robert Woods.

Her paintings will remain on display at the homestead through Sunday, Dec. 15.

The homestead's gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. (Sundays, noon to 3 p.m., May through November).

The Dec. 3 Holiday Gathering is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Welcoming remarks will be given at 7:30 p.m.

The snow date for the event is Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Photo: The Heller Homestead in Lower Saucon Township, decorated for the holidays (Patch file photo)