Features Editor

Nov. 23, 2000 10 PM

Christmas is a time for giving and the gift that Pike Pioneer Museum is giving to its "family" just might the be one of the best Christmas gifts ever.

The museum’s family of supporters is invited to an old-fashioned Christmas of candlelight and caroling from 4:30 until 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

The Pioneer Christmas Candlelight Tour and Caroling is a way that the museum can give back something to the community that has been so supportive over the years and made it possible for the museum to grow far beyond expectations.

"We wanted to invite our family of supporters to come together and share the beauty and wonder of the Christmas season with us,"

Gibson said. "We have a wonderful ‘gift’ to give and we hope everyone will be here to accept it."

The gift will be "unwrapped" at 4:30 p.m. in the Metcalf-Weed Reunion Cabin and toasted with hot chocolate and mulled cider. Then, the candlelight tour will weave its way through of the museum’s 1800-style buildings for the lighting of the Christmas trees in each one.

"We invited clubs and organization to decorate old-fashioned Christmas trees and we will have a tree in each of our buildings," Gibson said. "To date, we have commitments for seven trees in six cabins and we still have several more trees available for decorating if anyone else would like to be a part of helping decorate the museum for Christmas."

The clubs and organization that will decorate trees are the Brantley Garden Club,

Brantley and Luverne;

the Brundidge Historical Society; the Chunnenuggee Public Garden Club, Union Springs; the Georgiana Garden Club and the Sprig and Twig Garden Club, both of Georgiana; and the Old Alabama Town Herb Society; Montgomery.

"Each tree will be decorated with handmade ornaments and I’m sure each one will be different and a joy to see," Gibson said. "As the candlelight tour moves from cabin to cabin, we will light the Christmas trees and the train along the way."

Calvin Bodiford and the Southern Strings will provide strolling Christmas music for the Candlelight tour which will cross the covered bridge on its way to the log church for Christmas caroling.

"Jean Barr will play the pump organ for the caroling service which will bring our Pioneer Christmas to a close," Gibson said. "We hope our gift to our museum family of supporters will be one of their favorite and most meaningful gifts this Christmas season. And, we want to take this opportunity to remind all of those who have been a part of the museum’s growth and success over the years that this gift is for them And, we hope to see them all at Pioneer Christmas Saturday."