Clock Tower Holidays

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Apparently, it was Santa, a Coke and a smile that drew Reagen Dozier and Gabriela Plascencia’s attention.

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Sarah Woodman appeared to like the originality of a display called “A Kern County Harvest.”

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T.L. Maxwell’s Kam Hollis happily went about her job uncovering the Italian baked shredded beef lasagna before the guests arrived.

It cannot be said for sure whether visions of sugar plums were actually dancing in their heads, but visitors attending the Opening Reception of Clock Tower Holidays at the Kern County Museum on Nov. 20 had the theme, "Visions of Sugar Plums," on their minds. More than sugar plums, this was a "sweet tooth’s" delight. There were sweets hanging, intertwined and balanced on holiday trees, the sweetest wreaths you would ever want to see and tables lined with edible cakes, cookies, gingerbread trifles and on and on and on.

This, the sixth year the museum has presented its annual celebration of the holidays, is possibly its sweetest. Each year local artists and designers are given the challenge of uniquely decorating holiday trees and wreaths to match the museum’s theme for the season. Last year it was "Movie Magic" featuring cinematic scenes, props and so forth giving the museum’s Main Gallery a Hollywood feel. This year they have woven favorite treats, sweets, festivals, parties and even history into their creations to capture the essence of the theme Visions of Sugar Plums.

While the creations await the loving approval of future visitors, the melding of visions and taste buds could only be realized at the reception. Attendees spent $25 each to get an eyeful and a mouthful of sweets. The reception featured long tables of gourmet desserts and entrées prepared by some of the county’s finest restaurants, bakeries and confectioneries.

Just before the doors opened to visitors at 5 p.m., Christina Burubeltz from the Country Rose Tea Room was adding a dusting of sugar snow to the gingerbread trifles. T.L. Maxwell’s Kam Hollis was uncovering an aromatic tray of Italian baked shredded beef lasagna and Cookies by Designs’ Mary Sue Beaulieu had just unboxed an Italian Holiday champagne cake. All were beautiful to contemplate and even better to consume.

While some of the attendees were sampling the delicious delights, Beaulieu was surveying the artwork on display. "This is my first year participating and, my, I think these displays are so fabulous," Beaulieu said. "I can’t imagine the hours that must have been spent decorating these imaginative trees and wreaths."

You might also have spotted Lauren Enriquez, daughter of museum Director Carola Enriquez, watching others checking out her "Sweets for my Sweet" display. This is a tree almost exclusively dedicated to chocolate lovers with dozens of manufacturer boxes in just as many shapes, designs and packaging adorning the tall holiday tree.

"This tree took about three days to complete because the raw materials were already available to me (the boxes)," Enriquez said. "But last year was a real challenge with the Movie Magic theme. I chose a tribute to Vivian Leigh. From conceptualizing to completion, it took a half year to finish. I went all over the place to find what was needed. It wore me out, but it feels good seeing other people appreciating your art, as they are doing tonight."

Other imaginative designs include a Mardi Gras King Cake tree decorated by the Native Daughters of the Golden West and featuring lots of rich lavender and gold coloring. Denise Kobdish of Michael’s made her masterpiece the Gingerbread Tree, with dozens of different sized, shaped and decorated gingerbread persons looking good enough to pull off the tree and devour (please don’t). Yet another holiday tree, "A Kern County Harvest," the handiwork of the 4-H Youth Development Program, looks like it is ripe for harvest with bright, attractive looking fruit and vegetables amazingly hanging from a pine tree. Memories of years gone by are on display in Lillian Massey’s "Coca-Cola Dreams" featuring one of the soft drink company’s vintage serving trays with a jolly old Santa holding a bottle of Coke.

The reception has passed but the displays remain on exhibit in the museum’s Main Gallery from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays through Dec. 30 (except Nov. 27 and 28 and Dec. 24 and 25). Admission prices are adults $8, seniors (ages 60+) and students (ages 6-12) $7, children (ages 3-5) $5. Children younger than age three are admitted free. Parking is also free.

Curious observers on Nov. 20 were museum customer service representatives Reagen Dozier and Gabriela Plascencia formally dressed for the occasion.

"We get excited about walking through the doors that first night," Dozier said. "We have seen everybody bringing in all kinds of neat stuff to decorate, but this is our first chance to see what magic they have done with it."

"We are also some of the last people to see it, too," Plascencia said. "After all this is done, on Jan. 2 and 3, the museum holds its Nearly Wholesale Sale, and we help take down the ornaments and decorations so that customers can buy them for their own homes. Some people are standing at the door, waiting for it to open."

There are two other Clock Tower Holiday events. Dec. 6 from 3-8 p.m. is the annual Holiday Lamplight Tours and Dec. 14 it is Cookies at the Clock Tower from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information about all the Clock Tower Holiday Events, check the museum’s Web site, http://www.kcmuseum.org or call (661) 852-5000.


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