COLUMBIA, S.C. — The holidays have arrived at the South Carolina Governor's Mansion.
Governor Henry McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster welcomed the public to a Christmas Open House on Monday at the Governor's Mansion.
The annual event, which free of charge and open to the public, featured Santa Claus, entertainment and light refreshments
The Columbia Garden Club, which has decorated the Governor's Mansion for Christmas every year since 1981, began decorating last week when the Governor's Mansion received Christmas trees from Penland's Christmas Tree Farm in York, S.C., and poinsettias from the Lexington Technology Center's chapter of Future Farmers of America — all of which are on display at the Governor's Mansion.
A gingerbread house prepared by Governor's Mansion Executive Chef Pete Bowes and his team is also on display.
The wreaths and bows within the Mansion Complex are made and hung by the Horticulture Division of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
If you missed the open house, you can still tour the mansion, all decked out in Christmas splendor.
Regular docent-guided Christmas tours will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings on December 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15, at 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00 a.m.
he tours are free of charge but are by reservation only. Anyone interested in scheduling a tour should call 803-737-1710 or book online at scgovernorsmansion.org.