Each December, for the past 44 years, the women of the the Little Farms Garden Club of Potomac have transformed the historic landmark into a Christmas card-perfect structure that harkens back to the Victorian era. This year was no different.

“During that period, holiday decorations were elaborate,” said Traci Hoffman who has coordinated the project for the past 10 years.  “We try to create  that celebratory feel when we decorate it. We want to bring holiday joy to visitors.”

It took three hours, eighteen volunteers and more forty yards of garland to pull-off such their famously festive feat.

“What’s wonderful is that we’re strong independent women and we did all of it ourselves,” said Hoffman. “We listened to holiday music while we worked and really enjoyed working together.

Using branches from White Pine, Holly and other hearty trees, indigenous to the area, club members created a  display that exudes Christmas charm.

“Park service was generous enough to give us live greens,” said Hoffman.

So meaningful is the decades-old tradition, that the club members maintained it even during the COVID quarantine period,

“We couldn’t do much, but we wanted to keep it going, so we hung a wreath on the door,” said Hoffman. “We do it every year because we hope to bring peace and joy to visitors.”

Members of the Little Farms Garden Club of Potomac spent three hours decorating the Great Falls Tavern for Christmas. 

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Photo courtesy the Little Farms Garden Club of Potomac 

Garland made of fresh green adorns the Great Falls Tavern.

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Photo courtesy the Little Farms Garden Club of Potomac 

For more than four decades, members of the Little Farms Garden Club of Potomac have decorated the Garden Falls Tavern each Christmas.

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Photo courtesy the Little Farms Garden Club of Potomac 

Park Ranger Mark Meyers handles some of the higher level tasks at the Tavern at Great Falls