With the weather turning to snow, sleet and slippery feet, the festivals of winter are starting to drop from the sky like snowflakes.

This weekend, the Family Museum will continue its tradition of WinterFest on Sunday, Dec. 4, from noon to 5 p.m. There will be a host of joyful family activities for everyone including dance performances from the Family Museum Dance Company, holiday music performed the Bettendorf High School Chamber Choir and the Rock Island High School Chamber Orchestra String Quartet, refreshments, fun activities such as model magic and scratch art, and a visit from Santa.

Each family will receive one free photo with Santa curtesy of Walgreens on Devils Glen in Bettendorf. Admission to this event and the Family Museum’s hands-on gallery is free with the donation of a non-perishable food item or monetary donation to a local food pantry.

A huge, 300 square foot train set will be set up again this year, and the Great Hall will be decorated with lights, stars, trees, and animal displays. The centerpiece window dressing is the last set of animated figurines from the Petersen Harden Von Maur store in Davenport.  Created by the (George) Silvestri Art Manufacturing Company, this Santa’s House scene includes a Living Room with a decorated tree and fireplace, a Kitchen with a very busy stove, a Workshop where elves are busy making toy trains, and a snowball battle in the woods among the elves who are gathering firewood.  The display was built in Chicago during October of 1966, and was donated to the Family Museum in 1990 when the store was sold.

The Schedule of Events is as follows:

Santa and Walgreens, Noon – 5:00 pm (Santa will take one break)
Bettendorf High School Chamber Orchestra: Caroling from noon until 12:30, performance in Great Hall at 12:30
Family Museum Dance Company, 1:30 pm and 2:45 pm
Wood Carver with Ornaments for Sale, Noon – 5:00 pm
Model Magic and Scratch Art Noon – 5:00 pm
Ice Demonstrations at 1:00, 2:00, and 4:00
Buddy the Elf (Selfie with the Elfie!) in the ThinkShop Noon – 5:00 pm
Rock Island High School Chamber Orchestra String Quartet 3:00 – 4:00 pm

The Family Museum is located at 2900 Learning Campus Drive. For more information, please call (563) 344-4106 or visit www.familymuseum.org.

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Sean Leary Director of Digital Media

Sean Leary is an author, director, artist, musician, producer and entrepreneur who has been writing professionally since debuting at age 11 in the pages of the Comics Buyers Guide. An honors graduate of the University of Southern California masters program, he has written over 50 books including the best-sellers The Arimathean, Every Number is Lucky to Someone and We Are All Characters.