SUNY Orange's 17th annual holiday open house planned for the Dec. 10-11 and 17-18 weekends

MIDDLETOWN — Holiday “Reflections of the Past” will adorn Morrison Hall this December as the Middletown Garden Lovers will once again showcase their award-winning holiday decorations for SUNY Orange’s 17th annual Holiday Open House, slated for the weekends of Dec. 10-11 and 17-18. Visitors to Morrison Hall those four days will be able to view the mansion’s five first-floor rooms awash in holiday splendor courtesy of the Garden Lovers. Morrison Hall will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. Volunteers will be posted in each room to assist in any way they can for this self-guided tour. The SUNY Orange Madrigal Singers will perform songs of the season in the mansion’s Music Room at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, while the Chamber Ensemble will perform in the Music Room at 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11. Santa is expected to make an appearance on Sunday, Dec. 18. The Garden Lovers’ 2009 theme of “Victorian Visions” earned the club a first place citation in the National Historic Preservation Holiday Decorations Award program presented by the National Garden Clubs. Donations will be accepted for the Peter Alberghini Inspirational Scholarship. Alberghini, a long-time SUNY Orange employee and advocate for Orange County residents through education, civic work and mental health programs, originated the Holiday Open House as a way for the local community to enjoy Morrison Hall. The Holiday Open House is jointly sponsored by the College, the SUNY Orange Foundation and the Garden Lovers.