Sunday, December 2, noon – 5 p.m.
Family Museum, 2900 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf IA
Seasonal activities, song and dance performances, Christmas displays, and much more can be found at the Family Museum on December 2 when the venue hosts its annual celebration WinterFest, with this year's event-filled afternoon treating guests to displays, photos, and even visits from Santa, Mrs. Claus, and a real live reindeer.
Between noon and 5 p.m., Family Museum guests are invited to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus and pose for a free family photograph courtesy of Walgreen's, with one of Santa's live reindeer making his first visit to the Bettendorf venue between 1 and 4 p.m. Other activities lined up for the day include the Ice Follies Science Experiments, with five presentations scheduled between 12:30 and 4 p.m., and the museum's “Reindeer Races,” in which friends can compete to see whose reindeer slides to the finish line first.
Crafts for the day include: “Puzzle Piece Reindeer,” in which kids can piece together their own Rudolph with puzzle pieces and add a shiny red nose and googly eyes for a crafty fridge magnet; “Jingling Sleigh Bells,” with guests crafting their own jingle bells and decorating them with festive colors and bows; “Sparkling Ornaments,” with sparkly paint provided for ornament decoration; and “Reindeer Picture Frames,” an activity enabling visitors to show off their new photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Musical and dance performances are scheduled with the Quad City Ukulele Club (12:30 p.m.), the Family Museum Dance Company (1:30 and 3 p.m.), the Rock Island High School Orchestra (2 p.m.), and the Bettendorf High School Choir (3:30 p.m.). A 300-square-foot train set will again be set up this year, with the Great Hall decorated with lights, stars, trees, animal displays, and the centerpiece window dressing: the last set of animated figurines from the Petersen Harden Von Maur store in Davenport. Created by the 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.
Admission to the noon to 5 p.m. 2018 WinterFest on December 2 is free with the donation of a non-perishable food item or monetary donation to a local food pantry, and more information on the day is available by calling (563)344-4106 or visiting FamilyMuseum.org.
