’Tis the season for Felt Mansion holiday cheer

Holidays at the Felt Mansion are starting this season with a new sneak peek at upcoming events as well as the premiere of a short film about the restoration of the estate.

“The holidays are a time to celebrate with the local community,” said Felt Estate Executive Director Elizabeth McEwen. “The summer tourists have gone home, and so this is a time when we really like to see our Laketown and Saugatuck friends, who will all tell you, ‘If you haven’t seen The Felt at Christmas, then you haven’t really seen The Felt!’”

The mansion is at 6597 138^th Ave. in Laketown Township.

For more information, visit www.feltmansion.org.

New event

The first annual Felt Estate Holiday Premiere is 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30. Participants will be among the first to see the historic estate decked out for the holidays. Enjoy an evening with festive cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, live music, and donate for the chance to win a variety of raffle prizes including an exclusive overnight stay at the mansion.

The event is two-fold, McEwen said.

First, seeing the mansion decorated for the holidays is awe-inspiring.

“Our Christmas display is different each year, and you never know what room or what tree will inspire you,” McEwen said.

The second reason is practical.

“As we continue to restore this historic structure, we need resources to be able to do the work. Whether volunteers, donations, or proceeds from tours and events, events like the Premiere help us build the funds we need for the major projects that lie ahead,” she said

The evening will conclude with the debut of the short film “The Felt Estate: A Story of Restoration.”

The film is by DP Creative Audio & Video LLC owned by David Purnell.

Tickets are $100 each.

Other upcoming events

The holiday fun starts in December:

Saturday, Dec. 7, 1-4 p.m. Winterfest: This freechild-focused event gives the entire community a chance to explore the festively decorated mansion. Activities include visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting and horse-drawn wagon rides.

The event has been so popular that an extra hour was added this year.

Goody bags will be given out to the first 500 children.

Sundays in December, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Coffee & Cocoa Self-Guided Tours: Family-friendly self-guided tours of the mansion with complimentary refreshments. Tickets start at $8 each.

Wednesdays in December, 4-8 p.m. Holiday Self-Guided tours: Family-friendly self-guided tours of the mansion in all its holiday splendor. Tickets start at $5 each.

Thursdays in December, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tea & Tours: Reserve a time slot for tea served in our antique China collection, and a guided tour of the mansion. Tickets are $25 each.

Fridays in December, 5:30-9 p.m. Candlelight Guided Tours: Reserve your time slot for a romantic guided tour of the mansion, lit only by the warm glow of your handheld candle and the Christmas lights. Tickets are $25 each.

For more details, click here.

About the mansion

The Felt Estate is part of Shore Acres Park in Laketown Township.

The Carriage House was built in 1917, and the mansion was finished in 1928.

Construction of the mansion began in 1925 by Dorr E. Felt, inventor of the Comptometer, the first machine that could do all four functions — add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Felt’s wife Agnes died in 1928. Dorr died a year-and-a-half later.

After his death, the estate eventually became a seminary for the Augustinian order then a state prison and Michigan State Police post before the property was purchased by Laketown Township.

The mansion has been restored and is a top wedding and event destination.