Many events planned for big Christmas gala at museum

This is it. Saturday is the big Christmas gala at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center featuring Santa, trees, gingerbread houses, cookies, candy and even one of Santa's special elves. 

But first, we have a November photo contest winner and two runners-up. Our winner is Kathy Port's photo of Jobs Peak. Runners-up were another of Kathy's photos and a great shot by 12-year-old Clara Gray, granddaughter of Bob and Ann Gray of Minden. Congratulations to our winners.

I'll catch you up on Saturday's events since last week's column ended up in cyberspace instead of at The Record-Courier. Where do things go when they don't go where you send them?

Saturday is our biggest event of the year " the grand opening of the 12th annual Gallery of Trees and the gingerbread house contest entries. Come see these festive displays and vote for your favorites. Visit the cookie walk to pick your selection of holiday cookies. Come early because the cookie walk always sells out.

Santa and his sleigh will be on the front porch of the museum with elves taking photos of your kids and grandkids from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa photos are $5 each and duplicates can be ordered. Santa is bringing one of his special elves.

Check out the Main Street Bookstore holiday sale. Almost everything is 20 percent off for historical society members and non-members alike. There are a couple of exceptions, but all the books and T-shirts are on sale through Dec. 31. Saturday only there will be a special sale on items from the Genoa Court House Museum gift shop.

Don't forget to pick up copies of the 2009 Douglas County Historical Society calendar. Those of you who pre-ordered copies, now is the time to come get them before they are all gone. Calendars are $7.50 each, or $7 apiece if you buy more than one.

There is new artwork on consignment from local artists in the Main Street Bookstore. This artwork is available for purchase, but is not a part of the museum's bookstore sale. Still to come are the December photo contest and the Dec. 11 lecture series with Stan Paher, who will speak about the Emigrant Trail, the Long Road through Douglas County to California. He has a new slide show to go with the lecture.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned here, please call the Douglas County Historical Society at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville at 782-2555. Visit our Web site at www.historicnevada.org. Remember, DCHS and its two museums, the Gardnerville museum and the Genoa Court House Museum, do not receive any regular state or county funding. It's up to our members and friends to help us keep our doors open.

n Contact Ellen Caywood at in2my2cats@yahoo.com or at 790-1565.