Winterfest brings family fun to Felt Mansion

The sights and sounds of the holidays will fill the halls of the century-old Felt Mansion during the annual Winterfest on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

The event is part of season of celebration at the estate, 6597 138^th Ave., in Laketown Township.

Winterfest is from 1-4 p.m. and is sponsored by the Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission.

During the event, the mansion is open for free self-guided tours through the decorated rooms. Santa and Mrs. Claus welcome the young ones who want to pose for photos. The Holland Chorale Dickens Singers provide the holiday music. Cookies, coffee and cocoa will be available. Outside, wagon rides by Smallegan Farms will take people around the property, and reindeer will be on display.

“Winterfest might be my favorite event of the whole season. It’s the perfect kickoff to the holidays — grandparents, parents, and kids together, laughing, exploring, and making memories,” said Elizabeth McEwen, executive director of the Felt Estate. “Those multigenerational moments are exactly why we do what we do. It brings the community together in the best way.”

The event is free, but donations are appreciated and will go toward the restoration of the front portico.

The portico, a columned front entrance that serves as the grand threshold into the Georgian Revival mansion, is suffering from age-related deterioration. Cracked masonry, settling foundations, and water damage threaten both its appearance and its stability. Repairs are estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and will require specialized materials and craftsmanship to restore the structure in keeping with its historic integrity.

Winterfest began in 2009 to mark Laketown Township’s 150^th anniversary.

Holiday tours

Guided and self-guided tours are available throughout the holiday season.

The mansion is decorated with more than 60 Christmas trees and more than 50,000 lights and candles for the holidays. Garlands and wreaths adorn the mantles, staircases and doors.

Self-Guided Tours: 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10, 17; Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30; and Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Adults (18 and up) $18, Seniors (60 and up) $15, Adolescents (8-17) $12; Children (7 and under) free.

Coffee & Cocoa Self-Guided Tours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28; and Saturdays Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, 2026. Adults (18 and up) $20, Seniors (60 and up) $18, Adolescents (8-17) $15; Children (7 and under) free.

Tea & Tours (Guided): 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Tickets $25.

Candlelight Guided Tours: 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26 and Jan. 2, 2026. Tickets $25.

Self-guided tours typically last about an hour and tour booklets are available at check-in. Self-guided tour admission can be reserved online or paid upon arrival.

Guided tours must be reserved online, and typically last one to one-and-a-half hours.

For information and tickets, click here.

About the mansion

Construction on the mansion began in 1925 by Dorr Felt, inventor of the Comptometer, the first machine that could do all four math functions — add, subtract, multiply and divide. The building was finished in 1928.

Felt’s wife, Agnes, died in 1928, six weeks after the house was complete. Dorr died two years later.

The property went on to serve as a minor seminary for the Augustinian order (attended by Pope Leo XIV), a state prison, and a Michigan State Police post before the property was purchased by Laketown Township.

Today, following years of restoration by the Friends of the Felt Estate, the mansion is a top cultural, educational, and event destination, welcoming thousands of visitors annually.