Tea is still being served at Cronquist House and the tea house could remain open into the fall and winter depending on the demand.
Delores Coghill, manager of Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society, said the tea house usually closes after summer, but the hours of operation and the season were extended because of recent feedback.
The tea house, run by the society, opened for its regular season in May and operated 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday until mid-September when hours were extended to 7 p.m.
She said it’s likely a lot of people aren’t aware of the changes.
“We’re kind of playing it week by week. We’d like to be open till the end of the year, but if we keep seeing a decrease in customers we’ll close down,” Coghill said on Wednesday.
“We’ll definitely be open in December, but whether we’re open the rest of October and November is in question.”
The tea house is open in December, along with the special events hosted by the society for the holidays — an International Christmas Tea and Victorian Christmas Dinners.
Cronquist House was built in 1911-1912 by Swedish immigrant, Emmanuel Petterson Cronquist, and was occupied by members of the family until 1974. In 1976, the house was saved from demolition by community intervention and moved from its original location at the Cronquist Farm to its current location at Bower Ponds.
Coghill said the house draws people as well as the location.
“It’s beautiful down here. Even a dreary day like today, the deer have been running around everywhere.”
International Christmas Tea, on Dec. 6, features finger food, both sweet and savoury from the many cultures. The tea has two sittings: 12:45 and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 per person.
Victorian Christmas Dinners will be held Dec. 2 and 9 at 6:30 p.m and includes a six-course Christmas dinner. Tickets are $45 per person.
Tickets are available for both events by calling 403-346-0055.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com