Shane Smith, director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, speaks to a large crowd during the unveiling of the new Grand Greenhouse Conservatory at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens on Monday, August 14, 2017. Jacob Byk/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Shane Smith, director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, speaks to a large crowd during the unveiling of the new Grand Greenhouse Conservatory at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens on Monday, August 14, 2017. Jacob Byk/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
For the past 50 years, members of the GFWC Women’s Civic League of Cheyenne have worked tirelessly for weeks, making sure to prepare a local home to the point of peak Christmas perfection.
They’re diligent about preparing all types of handcrafted items and homemade treats, as well as decorating to the nines. It’s a labor of love, but the women who have been involved with organizing and preparing it have admitted it’s a joy, even if it is exhausting.
Next week, their work will pay off again when the annual Christmas House opens. But unlike years past, this event won’t be held at a home in or near Cheyenne.
This time, it’s going to be hosted at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Lions Park. Attendees can take advantage of the free parking at the Cheyenne Frontier Days lot. A trolley will shuttle them back and forth from the gardens.
“I became the co-chair last December, and we pretty much knew by January that we wanted to use the Botanic Gardens as the location for our 50th year,” said Kim Brokaw, co-chairwoman for the Christmas House. “We’ve used 49 houses over the years, but we wanted to do something different for such a milestone anniversary.”
She noted the Civic League members are particularly excited about hosting Christmas House at the Botanic Gardens because it’s handicap-accessible, and the extra space will allow more people to check out the sales and hopefully cut down on wait times.
There will be a book about the history of Christmas House available for purchase for $10 for those interested in learning more about the annual event.
Botanic Gardens Director Tina Worthman said the partnership between her staff and the Civic League has been fantastic.
“We’re so excited to host Christmas House this year,” she said. “We’ve been a recipient of some of the Civic League’s grants before, so we know how important this event and organization are to the community.”
Proceeds raised from the event will go toward local organizations and projects in Laramie County. Each year, the majority of the money is distributed through the club’s Community Grant Committee process. Scholarships also are given out to high school seniors in Laramie County School Districts 1 and 2 and to two students attending Laramie County Community College.
