Harn Homestead Cleaning Up Debris For Annual Christmas Event

<p>The hustle and bustle at the Harn Homestead is different this year. Just days away from the annual Territorial Christmas event, the staff is cleaning up a mess instead of decorating for the upcoming festivities.</p>

Tuesday, December 1st 2015, 6:30 pm

By: News 9


The hustle and bustle at the Harn Homestead is different this year.

Just days away from the annual Territorial Christmas event, the staff is cleaning up a mess instead of decorating for the upcoming festivities.

"It's pretty overwhelming," executive director Melessa Gregg said. "We have four of us ... one with a chainsaw."

For Gregg and her staff, preserving the landmark is a little more hands-on after an ice storm toppled trees and knocked down power lines on the property near NE 17 and Lincoln.

"It gives us a lot of work to do and it definitely takes us back to an earlier time," Gregg said.

The crew of women spent Tuesday hauling off broken tree limbs.

They remained optimistic despite the manual labor.

"It could've been worse ... that has kind of been our catch phrase for the last couple of days," Gregg said.

Fortunately, the tree limbs and power lines narrowly missed the historic buildings but the mess still forced the outdoor museum to temporarily close.

Gregg said the focus this week is to get everything cleaned up before anything else falls and potentially damages one of the historic buildings.

"Obviously, we want our pathways to be safe so people can come visit without worrying about falling branches or branches in the pathway," she said.

Another concern is safety for patrons, and the Harn Homestead is expecting hundreds to be on the property by 6 p.m. Thursday for its annual Territorial Christmas event.

The event offers a meet and greet with Santa, hayrides and tours of the Harn house.

It's a major fundraiser for the Harn Homestead and helps the non-profit fund future programs to highlight Oklahoma's past.

"Our fingers are crossed that we can get it done in time," Gregg said.

They are even asking for volunteers to show up at 1721 N. Lincoln at 10 a.m. Wednesday to help out.

The crew plans to work til they get it done. So, everyone can come and take part in the annual tradition.

Click here for more information on how to  purchase a $5 ticket to the Territorial Christmas

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