Tyrone’s first ever Victorian Christmas celebration is scheduled to kick off tonight with the tree lighting and Christmas parade followed by a fun-filled weekend packed with activities.
With the many participants and activities planned, there surely won’t be a shortage of things to do this weekend.
One special event scheduled all day Saturday is a miniature house display that will be set up in the Tyrone History Museum at the Rail Park.
Fran Bigelow has set up her miniature house display at the museum for this weekend’s special event. She has been creating these fun miniatures for almost 30 years.
This exhibit shows four of the many houses Bigelow has created over the years, including a greenhouse, Christmas shop, post office and book store.
Bigelow described the four items currently on display as “roomboxes with individual miniature settings inside and architectural features added to the outside to give it the appearance of a building.”
The greenhouse was purchased and assembled and the Christmas shop was put together from a kit. The other two roomboxes were created from scratch.
Bigelow said, “Seventy-five percent of the contents were handmade by myself or friends.”
According to Bigelow, it takes about two weeks to build one of the houses, usually one week to build it and one week to decorate it.
Her houses have been on display at places such as the Bellwood Library and the Tyrone Elementary School.
When asked why she enjoys this hobby, Bigelow explained it is something she can do for and with her family.
As her grandchildren get older, they each receive a special house that Bigelow created just for them. One of her granddaughters asked for a pet shop and she made a barn for her grandson.
Making these houses has also become a family tradition. With help from her grandchildren, Bigelow has created a Halloween witch’s house. Each year the family keeps adding more to the house.
“It’s something we can all do together,” Bigelow said.
Individuals are encouraged to visit this unique display which promises to be an enjoyable experience for both young and old alike.
