Out-of-Door Adornment

By Julia Winkler

Whether it be lavish decorations or luminescent lights, see the best the region has to offer in splendid displays

 

Massanutten Resort, McGaheysville
1822 Resort Drive, McGaheysville; 540-289-9441; www.massresort.com.

Snuggled in rural McGaheysville, 10 miles east of Harrisonburg, Massanutten Resort provides a panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley. Views from atop the resort’s 14 ski slopes span dozens of miles of Virginia’s heartland. A promontory point showcasing the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and Alleghenies to the west on a clear day, Massanutten’s skiers receive a unique scope from a nearly 3,000-foot elevation. Non-skiers, don’t fret: The resort’s low-elevation points host several small frozen ponds and upward-gazing vantage points.

Hyatt Regency Reston’s Gingerbread Village
Open daily, Thanksgiving through Christmas. Hyatt Regency Reston lobby, 1800 Presidents St., Reston; 703-709-1234; www.reston.hyatt.com.

Nestled in sugary snow, this “neighborhood” has been a tradition for Reston Town Center since 1990. Utilizing 90 pounds of candy and 100 of flour, the 18-by-12-foot display hosts buildings that are 2-by-3 feet each. A joint effort between the hotel’s engineering and kitchen staffs, the display simulates an old-fashioned 1800s village, made entirely of giant gingerbread sheets coated with hardened whipped cream, pretzel log cabins and a massive church. A candy railroad track runs around and through the village, complete with a model train in constant motion.

GumDrop Square, Warrenton
Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in December; times vary. John Barton Payne Building, 2 Courthouse Square, Warrenton; 540-349-8606; www.partnershipforwarrenton.org; $2/visit.

Rated by the Southeast Tourism Society as a top 20 event in the Southeast, the opening of GumDrop Square invites children into a fun-sized neighborhood all their own. Fifteen Christmas trees decorated with different themes fill the building alongside 20-foot windows decorated with garlands, lights and window sashes. A main street is erected with child-height storefronts: Adults, watch your heads when bending down, as buildings are only 4 feet high. A miniature bakery, post office, toy store, library, ice-cream parlor and tea room complete the display. Elf-led visits to Santa’s secret shop polish off the end of each tour.

East Juniper Avenue, Sterling
Dates vary; times vary. East Juniper Avenue, between Sterling Boulevard and Oaktree Lane, Sterling; free.

With more inflatable Santas than you can shake a stick at, the seasonally beaming East Juniper Avenue in Sterling plays host to a display stretching across more than a dozen decked out houses. Ranging from the kitschy—cut-out Simpsons characters—to the classy—lines of luminariaes rimming yard perimeters—the light show consistently attracts blocks of cars from early December, well into the new year.

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	Skimp Versus Splurge By Julia Winkler
	Tree For the traditional yet tailored tree, Fairfax-based interior designer Melinda Cunningham recommends a balance between pricey handcrafted ornaments and low-cost glass balls.	Table Whether it’s for a five-course meal or a casual cocktail party, your table decor should make a tasteful statement before guests even lift a fork.
SKIMP	Complement pricier bits with “lots of shiny glass balls to put deep inside the tree to reflect tons of lights.” Available everywhere throughout the season, this holiday standard can be personalized through chosen color schemes and opaque, clear and metallic choices. And no need to skimp on quantity here: At about 50 cents a pop at most department stores and pharmacies, you can buy them by the box load. Colored and white lights alike will be multiplied in their luminescence thanks to the reflections off these guys. Just brace yourself for a lengthy dismantling session post-Christmas.	Make your own simple yet elegant centerpiece with a cheap glass jar—apothecary jars work nicely—in a clear or slightly tinted color. “Fresh fruits in simple glass hurricanes make a dramatic centerpiece. Fresh limes and cranberries will last all season,” Cunningham suggests. “Beautiful amaryllis stems or other blooms can be added for the most special dinners [and] events.” Swap out winter fruits for other seasonal produce and sprigs to keep it festive year-round. Your guests will be impressed every time.
SPLURGE	“Beautiful collectible ornaments to be hung on the ends of branches that reflect your interests and personality; i.e., quirky Italian glass or Dresden star ornaments.” We recommend the designs at Christina’s World (www.christinasworld.com)—elegant and ornate, they range from $40-$52 each, but are worth every penny in their handcrafted individuality. Invest in a collection that best reflects your family members’ unique interests over the years for a timeless repertoire of memories.	Don’t skimp on the dishware. Cunningham recommends “really nice holiday accent plates, maybe even a couple of sets, to match the mood of your event.” Vera Wang and Versace are two names she mentions that are releasing holiday dinnerware lines ranging from the contemporary to the traditional to suit every mood and occasion. “The accent plates can be paired with china and beautiful glass to create a festive table, or used as buffet or dessert plates for a more casual party,” Cunningham says.

(December 2009)