Ho-ho-hoing It Up at the Prez. Hall Wreath Pageant

Mark Gabrielle did not organize the Wreath Pageant this year, but he could not help himself yesterday morning, joining in with final touches around Preservation Hall. Above, he clips a name tag off “Wrack Line Occupied,” by Melody Thibideau, my personal favorite. The wreath featured sea glass, lures and seaweed from a Wellfleet beach. I was able to admire “Never Bagless” on the opposite wall. The selection was displayed with love and dedication. Here’s the main organizer for 2011, Tracy Plaut, in hat, with Christmas elves Victoria Pecoraro, Kathleen Baker, and Kim Shkapich, who helped prepare bean soup and hot chocolate in the Prez. Hall kitchen.

For 2012, crafters used imagination, creativity, and lots of ornaments. Everything from garlic to seashells and candy canes decorated the 60 wreaths on display, both upstairs and down. There were even two small wreaths, fashioned by Janet Ferro from “Fabrics Recycled from Prez. Hall Clothing Swap.” I missed contributions from regulars Marike Hall and Sharyn Lindsay, but it was fun to see work by first-timers Katie Reed and Josaiah Mayo, for instance, local raw-food power couple. They offered up “Growing Peace,” a large wreath featuring ornament seed cards. (Wreaths can be purchased today, too, and next week, starting Wednesday.)

I love the way crafters name their creations. This touch makes our pageant all the more special. “Christmas Fruit Salad” by Carol Ubriaco charmed Marla Rice. Tracy Plaut’s marshmallow masterpiece was entitled simply, “Mello.” Yup, a wreath made of marshmallows. How clever!

Nearby, one of the more unusual items for sale, a circular “Happy Holidays” wreath by artist Robert Rindler, drew a number of onlookers. “Isn’t it fabulous?” Gigi Ledkovsky asked Jim Lotti.

I stopped in front of
“Climpt, Adele Block Baur in her Tutu" by Pietra Bono to ponder its meaning. This was one wreath Sven would have to explain to me later. Pietra is a local jeweler. I got the reference to Gustav Klimt but did not remember Adele Bloch-Bauer, whose famous portrait sold in 2006 for $135 million dollars. Pietra's wreath went beyond Christmas, I decided. Here was a piece of modern art that could be displayed all year long.

New for 2011, no auction. Prices ranged from $20 to $75. A few of the wreaths had already been sold and removed by 11 o’clock, which seemed a shame, but more arrived all afternoon. I bet a number of Wellfleetians planned their visit to coincide with the traditional end-of-the-day rush to bid on a favorite. I did miss the auction, which added an element of excitement to the event, but could easily appreciate the work involved, the reason it was discontinued. As I resumed my tour, I met up again with Mark, who was clipping the tag off “Seashore” by Joe Fiorello. “Joe makes the most gorgeous stuff,” Mark said. Also gorgeous, "Black and White," by Sky Freyss-Cole, bathed here in the glow of morning.

Meanwhile, behind us, the gingerbread house contest had begun. There were five houses and two categories. One entry had intricate almond slivers as a shingled roof.

“I like the small one. And, the detail on this piece is impeccable,” said Kathleen Baker, one of the judges. Check out the complexity of the winning entry in Adults, Barb Taylor’s Early 1800s Lower Cape, Cape Cod House “Did you see?” Tracy asked me later. “There’s even poop by the doghouse.”

In the children’s category, Lili Hay’s “Ice Village," below, took first prize. Here's Lili with her mom, Tracey Harmon Hay. Tracey shrieked with delight when the organizers called to say Lili's entry had won.

The gingerbread house contest was new this year. I trust more bakers will be inspired in 2012 to submit entries. The more, the merrier, don't you think?

An older gentleman rounded the display with a walker, looking to buy gingerbread. He was told to take the elevator downstairs, where tables were laden with Christmas treats. Before joining him, I checked out Joan Platt’s “Holly Wreath” wall quilt, which was to be auctioned off. Joan also contributed her traditional pine cone wreath. (If any of you have tried to make one, you know it's not easy to get all the pieces to fit together flawlessly.) In the basement bean soup and hot chocolate awaited us. It was also possible to take home Christmas cookies.

A colorful sign welcomed revelers. “Thank you for supporting Wellfleet Preservation Hall,” I read out loud. “Our first Christmas in this beautiful building.”

In my opinion, it’s going to be a merry one.

Wellfleet's Deck This Hall Blasts Off With Holiday Cheer

December is upon us and December, in Wellfleet, means head to Preservation Hall with greenery and community spirit. Events will be taking place all month. Yes, not one weekend of Christmas cheer but three! The fun starts with wreath making. The second wreath-making session took place yesterday afternoon and evening. Along with crafters, bakers were also welcome to join the crew in the kitchen who were turning out macaroons at a fast clip. The table was full of yummy treats that will go on sale Saturday. There will also be a Gingerbread House contest, new in 2011. (Head judge will be Chris Kelley of Sweet Baking.)

The basement smelled heavenly when I arrived with my wreath in hand. Yes, this year I decided to get a head start and use Chez Sven greenery. The euonymus outside spoke to me: “I HAVE WREATH ASPIRATIONS,” it hissed. I cut several large branches and wound them into a circle. Sven helped for a while as I tucked and bent. Now, I’m not a craft-y person, certainly not as good with a glue gun as Miles, but I figured here was an opportunity to make a statement of some kind. In about fifteen minutes my wreath was ready. Well, almost. I tied on a bow and added a Chico bag as decoration. Suddenly the name came to me: NEVER BAGLESS. Because all the wreaths at the wreath pageant have names, in case you had forgotten. (Last year I created STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION.)

Into my car we went, the wreath and I, driving two minutes into town. Organizer-in-chief Tracy Plaut showed me to a table laden with crafting materials. I found a star and a bow. NEVER BAGLESS, right above, was complete. (And yes, those are marshmallows to the left, a wreath made by Tracy herself.)

Meanwhile, a lot was going on around me. Christmas masterpieces were being created. Cookies eaten. Elves were coming and going. Kim Shkapich, Celeste Makely, and Amy Samuelson, left, stirred and rolled in the kitchen. Tracy seemed to be everywhere at once, placing finished wreaths on the wall, chatting with newcomers, urging those hard at work to enjoy the snacks. And, there were many children this year. No wonder! Up on the stage I spied the makings of Christmas cookies, an activity my granddaughter in California would have loved. Several little girls were already hard at work.

“I suggest you test on the burned ones,” suggested Debra Joy Strain, who shows off her finished wreath at the top of the post.

Debra Joy told me she makes a living doing oil painting restoration and had lived in Mexico for a number of years. She came “home” with her bilingual eight-year-old daughter and discovered Preservation Hall.

“This is really nice,” she said with unfettered enthusiasm, as if we lived in Los Angeles and the Getty Museum had suddenly popped up on the hillside. “There are so many amazing people in Wellfleet, but you don’t usually get to meet them.”

I could only agree. Preservation Hall brings us together. That’s what community is all about.

Don’t forget to attend the Wreath Pageant this Saturday from 10 to 4 and stay tuned for updates on future weekend events ...

Wellfleet’s Fourth Annual “Deck This Hall” a Success!

What has 15 hands, 30 feet, and one head? That would be Wellfleet’s Preservation Hall Board, of course. Members work well together, walk in step, and seem to have singular vision. I saw five of them during the half-hour I spent at the crafts fair and wreath pageant yesterday. What a joyous occasion it was! If you missed “Deck This Hall” because of the inclement weather, let me share my impressions without wasting any more time. The wreaths were set up in the future great hall, along un-insulated walls, and on tables. To the left, Tracy Plaut, one of the main organizers, assigns numbers for the silent auction.

Crafts people had set up stands both upstairs and down. Lots of fun Christmas gifts were available for sale. Cape Codders were buying candy, Wellfleet greeting cards, pottery, T-shirts, jewelry, tote bags made of recycled material, and much, much more. During the afternoon, it was possible to tour the renovated building. At the doorway, Dede Ledkovsky hawked lottery tickets. Santa came at 1 pm, stopping at the Lighthouse Restaurant, a few doors up Main Street.

And, of course, there were the wreaths. I loved Kim Shkapich and Jim Lotti’s train tracks and Lego creation with the words LOVE and HOPE spelled out in wooden blocks. Professional landscaper Victoria Pecoraro dreamed up For The Birds, Too, which offered birds a home and food. The bidding began at $75 for this wreath. At 1:30, the price was up to $90. By the end of the day, most of the wreaths had found homes.

Just look at the beautiful stained glass windows from the former Catholic Church! The renovation may not yet be complete, but it was clear that the space is already serving its purpose: bringing the community together. Friends would hug as they went from wreath to wreath and stall to stall. “I know you!” someone exclaimed behind me. “I see you all the time. I’m Teresa!” Wherever I looked, people embraced.

Before leaving, I stopped on the front steps to speak with Prez. Hall Vice President Anne Suggs, who said in a wistful voice, “We were standing in there last night, imagining it when the walls are actually white!”

What was she referring to? Completion of our marvelous GREEN community center and the wedding ceremonies that will take place in Preservation Hall, starting in June, as well as, seven months later, the 5th Annual “Deck This Hall” 2011. Mark your calendars now!

Preservation Hall Elves Create Wreaths for Pageant

I know this sounds silly but the idea of creating a Christmas wreath made me feel giddy, like a little kid on show-and-tell morning. Excitement made my heart pound as I entered the Senior Center where a small band of elves was already unpacking wreath preparation paraphernalia. There were pretty ribbons and pine cones shaped like roses, ornaments, even a row of butterflies, all awaiting the imagination of volunteers, heaven for arts-and-crafts-type folks, in other words. Not having participated in wreath creation before, I brought my own objects of adornment, most of it collected on three Wellfleet beaches over the past few months. Inspired by what I had seen at the 2009 Preservation Hall Wreath Pageant, I had decided to do a message-wreath, because the occasional theme makes the event even more interesting. Mine would sport a Stop-Plastic-Pollution sign, painted in blue on a piece of driftwood. I laid out my beach junk on a table and glanced around.

“I would say watch the stuff you want to keep,” veteran wreath-maker Sharyn Lindsay advised as she began to prowl around the supply boxes.

Sharyn pounced on some fascinating wrapping material that had come in a box for the B&B last week, perfect for this type of activity. I was glad she would put the crinkly brown paper to use, recycling it. Everyone was working with a different type of decoration. I had begun braiding three New York Times bags. The main color of my wreath was to be blue.

“Everything she’s chosen is rosaries blessed by Pope Benedict the XVIth,” one elf chuckled as a friend began to weave beaded necklaces into fir branches.

Christmas music was playing in the background. Sharyn’s son Caleb acted as DJ while elf Tracy Plaut served hot cider and baked goods. I did not partake in the refreshments, too busy with my creation.

“This is like a party!” someone commented.

It was also serious business, creating wreaths that people will want to bid on and buy in support of Preservation Hall during Deck the Halls weekend, December 11-12. Our wreaths will raise precious money to help with the final costs of renovation.

Organizer Mark Gabrielle seemed to be everywhere. When the time came, he helped me affix a bit of broken Frisbee with a glue gun. Finally my wreath was finished. The whole process took over an hour and was FUN!

“It’s fantastic!” Sharyn Lindsay exclaimed.

Her wreath is really nice, too. Check it out!