Events will kick off holiday exhibit at Arms

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Several events will accompany the opening of “Memories of Christmas Past,” the annual holiday exhibition this weekend at the Arms Family Museum, 648 Wick Ave.

The museum is closed this week in preparation for Saturday’s grand opening of the exhibition, in which the entire museum is decorated in vintage Christmas items.

Visitors on Saturday and Sunday who bring canned goods to donate to 21 WFMJ-TV’s Project Feed Our Valley will receive half-price admission to the museum.

Author Donna DeBlasio, professor of history and the director of the Center for Applied History at Youngstown State University, will be at the museum Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. to sign copies of her new book “Youngstown,” an Arcadia Images of America series publication. Copies of the book will be available for sale.

Santa Claus will make his first appearance at the Arms from 1-5 p.m. Sunday in the museum’s log cabin in the lower level. Parents are welcome to take their own photographs. Children also will be able to decorate their own gingerbread man to take home, or to hang in the museum hallway.

“Memories of Christmas Past” runs through Jan. 5. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5 p.m.; and Thursdays 1-8 p.m. Admission is $6 ($5 for seniors, $4 for children age 3 to 18, and free for children under 3). For information, go to memoriesofchristmaspast.com, or call 330-743-2589.