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Lauralton Hall offers Yule event

Posted on Nov 29, 2006

Reprinted from the New Haven Register - November 29, 2006
By Julia Cooper, Register Correspondent

MILFORD - Lauralton Hall will kick off the holiday season this week with its 17th annual Christmas in the Mansion, an event showcasing the school’s campus at 200 High St., as well as offering the opportunity for holiday shopping. 

A special preview by reservation only is slated for special guests from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The event will be open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday; and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $6 at the door.

"It’s a very, very festive event," said Stefanie Stevens, Lauralton’s special events and public relations coordinator. "It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season. The girls really look forward to it."

Stevens said the event usually draws a crowd of 4,000 to 6,000. Visitors come to enjoy the gift boutique, raffle and the vast array of decorations.

"The general public is usually really impressed with the decorating," said Stevens. "The buildings are so old that the architecture really lends itself to the seasonal decorations."

Lauralton’s Victorian-Gothic mansion dates to 1864 and houses a famous spiral staircase that Stevens said was constructed without any nails. The St. Joseph’s building on the campus was built in 1906. The administration building, renamed Mercy Hall during the school’s centennial celebration, was built around 1915.

Each year, Christmas in the Mansion has a theme that dictates the style of decorations. In the past, Stevens said, themes have included "A Coastal Christmas" with handmade decorations of shells, and "A Victorian Christmas." The theme of this year’s event is an "Old-fashioned Christmas," with classic decorations and a different color scheme for each part of the school.

Stevens said decorations have been going up for the last four to six weeks, with preparations beginning as far back as September. A decorations committee is in charge of all Christmas trimmings at the school, and is one of about 15 to 20 committees of volunteers that help to make the event possible, Stevens said.

"We have a lot of volunteers -- alumnae, current parents and the parents of alumnae," she said. "This couldn’t happen without the help of volunteers."

Stevens said that all students and parents volunteer in numerous ways over the course of the weekend.

"All students and parents are asked to staff a four-hour shift," she said. In addition, Stevens said each girl and her family is asked to donate one gift item, large or small. Stevens said smaller items will be grouped together and put into gift baskets to be sold in the gift boutique.

Larger items, such as an Apple iPod, will be raffled off on their own, said Stevens.

Stevens said this year’s event will host 55 vendors throughout the auditorium, foyer, offices, classrooms and cafeteria.

There are several long-standing vendors that Stevens said return year after year, but she also gets numerous requests from vendors to be a part of the event.

This year, Christmas in the Mansion will play host to New York City designer Kathlin Argiro, who specializes in white graduation dresses and retails her designs at Pink by the Harbor in Milford.

Also present will be Branford’s Tuscan Shamrock, which is operated by sisters who are also Lauralton alumnae. They offer Irish and Italian imports and unique baby gifts.



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