Deck the Hollow! Quail Hollow Park event features Christmas lights and historic home tour
LAKE TWP. − Walking through the Stewart Manor House at Quail Hollow Park is a trip back in time to the 1920s.
Decor is of the period, and the home is exquisitely curated with furniture and fixtures.
During the holiday season, the Manor House goes beyond history with abundant Christmas decorations. The public also gets a chance to experience the splendor starting this weekend at the "Welcome Home for the Holidays" and "Deck the Hollow" joint event.
Park grounds outdoors will feature lighted walks, decorated trees and holiday displays.
Holiday styling also includes music and actors John and Carol Capocci, who will portray Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, who formerly lived in the Manor House decades ago, said Rhonda Seaman, secretary of the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association and chair of the Christmas Committee. Children also can help decorate a Christmas tree inside the home.
Santa Claus will be on hand at Quail Hollow for children to visit, and parents can take their own photos. Concessions will be available for cash, including cookies and hot chocolate.
How much do tickets cost and what time is Deck the Hollow?
Tickets ($5) can be purchased online, and start times can be reserved at https://starkparks.com/. Tickets also will be available at the event for $6 (cash only). Hours are 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday; Dec. 15-17; and Dec. 19-20 at Quail Hollow Park, 13480 Congress Lake Ave. NE in the Hartville area.
Time blocks for admittance are every 15 minutes to keep wait times low while providing ample space for visitors to enjoy the festivities. Ages 2 and older require paid admission. Tours are self-guided, and visitors can take as much time as they would like to enjoy the attractions, Stark Parks said.
Volunteers will be inside the home to answer questions.
Portions of the holiday program are outdoors on a variety of surfaces, including gravel, asphalt and grass. The Manor House second floor can only be reached using stairs.
Historic 15,000-square-foot home decorated for the holidays
The holiday event is a partnership between the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association and Stark Parks.
The park system oversees and handles the decorations and lights outdoors. Around 25 volunteers in the association collectively have spent hundreds of hours planning and decorating the Manor House over the course of several months. Sponsorships from local businesses also helped the effort.
Character, ornate architecture and holiday spirit fill every room of the 15,000-square-foot home, which was last a residence of the Stewart family in the mid-1970s. The property became Quail Hollow State Park before Stark Parks took over its management in 2016.
More than 2,000 people toured the home last December during the holiday event.
'It's just a gift to the community.'
The Manor House provides a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Formerly a self-sustaining farm, the 720-acre property traces back to the former Brumbaugh homestead and other plots, which were acquired beginning in 1901 by Harry Bartlett Stewart, a Canton attorney and founder of the Akron Canton and Youngstown Railroad.
The display honors the historic home's legacy while celebrating the holidays.
"It's the joy of bringing your parents, grandparents and children and feeling the timelessness of the holidays," said Pam Severa, membership chair of the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association.
"It's just a gift to the community," she said.
Angela Palomba, community engagement manager for Stark Parks, said she has fond memories of visiting Quail Hollow as a child during the holidays.
"I think the tradition is the big pull bringing people to the grounds seeing the beautiful outside and then inside to see the house and decorations," she added.
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) at ebalint@REP and Instagram at ed_balint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County's Quail Hollow Park celebrating holidays with lights, fun
