Burgwin-Wright House brings 18th century holiday charm to Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Step back in time this weekend as the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens hosts its annual holiday open house, offering visitors a glimpse into 18th-century holiday traditions. The free event, scheduled for Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., combines history, festive décor, and a holiday market.

“This is a chance to see not only a historic site in Wilmington in a different light, but to see it in a holiday light,” said Hunter Ingram, assistant museum director. “It’s not often that you get to think about how traditions have changed and how a house like this would have functioned at a different time of the year.”

The Burgwin-Wright House will be decorated with garlands, fresh greenery, fruits, and flowers, reflecting the colonial-era tradition of bringing the outdoors indoors. “It would have given the house an aroma. It would have given it a nice green sense,” Ingram said. “They didn’t have Christmas trees, so you have to look at other ways in which they were decorating.”

Costumed interpreters will guide guests through the house, explaining how the rooms were used during the colonial era and how Christmas was celebrated. The evening will also feature demonstrations of colonial medicine, weaponry, and Scottish Highlander traditions.

For daytime visitors, a holiday market will showcase more than 35 local vendors offering handmade gifts, from candles to woodwork. The market provides an opportunity to shop local and explore the site’s gardens and visitor center before the evening event begins.

The holiday open house is the museum’s largest fundraiser of the year. While admission is free, donations are encouraged to support the upkeep of the 254-year-old home, which sits on the site of Wilmington’s first jail. The museum is also collecting Toys for Tots donations to benefit the community.

“This is a way for us to bring people in, let them see what is around the corner in their town, and hopefully they can give back to us or their community,” Ingram said.

For more information about the event, click here.