Conner Prairie on Tuesday announced Huntington as the 2021 presenting sponsor of “A Merry Prairie Holiday.”
The third annual festival kicks off on Friday, Nov. 26, running daily through Sunday, Dec. 19, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 21 and 22. Conner Prairie’s grounds will be transformed into a winter wonderland of lights and warm holiday fun from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly, inviting guests to step into the story of holidays past and explore traditions from yesteryear, while also creating new memories with their families sock-skating at Frosty’s Skating Rink, flying down the Polar Bear Plunge tubing hill, or taking a spin around Kringle’s Carousel.
New experiences are planned for 2021. For example, the William Conner House will be transformed into a magical 3D projection mapping holiday show that will spark the nostalgia of the holidays. Guests can immerse themselves in a new, timeless story as the house comes to life in an imaginative and heartwarming show.
Also new are two initiatives to make “A Merry Prairie Holiday” accessible to more Hoosiers.
First is the expansion of Conner Prairie’s Access Pass program, which allows families who receive support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Hoosier Healthwise Insurance, Commodity Supplement Food Program, or the Healthy Indiana Plan to visit Conner Prairie and other museums and cultural attractions for just $2 per family member. Thanks to Huntington and other community supporters, Conner Prairie has been able to expand its Access Pass program to include reduced-price admission to Conner Prairie’s festivals in addition to general admission. This new policy allowed the museum to welcome more than 1,000 guests to the Headless Horseman festival under the program.
Huntington’s support has also made “A Merry Prairie Holiday” more accessible to guests who are deaf or hard of hearing. The sponsorship funds a new series of American Sign Language tours, available at 6, 7, and 8 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 18. These interpreted tours will help guests with hearing disabilities more fully enjoy and experience the festival.
“Our DEAI promise is critical to making Conner Prairie more accessible to more people,” said Conner Prairie President and CEO Norman Burns. “With the generous support of our presenting sponsor Huntington, we’re living this promise more fully than ever before during this year’s ‘A Merry Prairie Holiday’ celebration.”
“Huntington is proud to be part of making new traditions and removing barriers to more Hoosiers celebrating ‘A Merry Prairie Holiday,’” said John Corbin, regional president for Huntington. “We’re excited to sponsor this event, and create pathways for more people to more fully experience all the festival has to offer in 2021.”
Learn more about “A Merry Prairie Holiday” and other exciting events on the horizon at ConnerPrairie.org.
About Conner Prairie
Spanning more than 1,000 wooded acres in Central Indiana, Conner Prairie welcomes more than 400,000 visitors of all ages annually. As Indiana’s first Smithsonian Institute affiliate, Conner Prairie offers various outdoor, historically-themed encounters and indoor experiential learning spaces that combine history and art with science, technology, engineering and math to offer an authentic look into history that shapes society today. Conner Prairie is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization – accredited by the American Alliance of Museums – that relies on grants and philanthropic donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations for sustainability and growth. For more information visit ConnerPrairie.org.