An Old Farm Country Christmas Book Talk
December 5 | 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Event Details
Saturday, Dec 5, 2026 | 1 PM–3:30 PM*
Relive the Stories, Recipes and Traditions of Midwest Christmases Past
From the beloved father-daughter duo behind the bestseller Old Farm Country Cookbook comes a heartwarming celebration of Wisconsin Christmases past—when the first snowfall signaled the start of the season, neighbors gathered close and simple joys lit up long Midwest winter nights. Join author Susan Apps-Bodilly at Wade House as she explores Midwest farmhouse kitchens, one-room schoolhouses, rural churches and snowy fields in Old Farm Country Christmas, a rich collection of stories, photography, illustrations and holiday recipes co-authored alongside her father, Jerry Apps.
*After the discussion, join us from 4:30 PM–6 PM for an advanced community screening and discussion of PBS Wisconsin’s Jerry Apps: Home for the Holidays , a film based on Old Farm Country Christmas.
What You’ll Experience
- A book discussion with author Susan Apps-Bodilly exploring nostalgic Christmas traditions, recipes and memories made on Midwestern farms from the Great Depression through the 1950s
- Pick up your own copy of Old Farm Country Christmas and explore over 80 cherished Apps family recipes, 12 nostalgic Midwest holiday crafting projects, 50 vintage photographs and illustrations and countless stories of old farm holiday traditions
- Join a post-talk Q&A and book signing with Apps-Bodilly in the Wade House Visitor Center Walnut Room
- Enjoy sample tastings of delicious recipes and join a craft making session inspired by Old Farm Country Christmas at the Wade House Stagecoach Inn
- Afterwards, at 4:30 PM, watch an exclusive advanced community screening of PBS Wisconsin’s Jerry Apps: Home for the Holidays, a film that brings the warmth, wonder and shared traditions of Old Farm Country Christmas to life
Cost
Adults (18-64):
Teens (13-17):
Seniors (65+):
Children (5-12):
Children under 5: Free
Advanced registration is required
Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.
About the Location
Wade House Stagecoach Inn was constructed conveniently between the cities of Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, along a well-used stagecoach trail. This made the 27-room Greek Revival hotel a popular resting point for weary travelers. Three generations of the Wade family resided on the Wade House property, with the stagecoach inn operating until around 1872. The Kohler family and the Kohler Foundation purchased Wade House in 1950 and began a top-to-bottom restoration. The site became property of the Wisconsin Historical Society and opened to the public in 1953. Here, visitors can journey back to the horse-powered world that existed before planes, cars, and trains. The site features the stagecoach hotel built and owned by Sylvanus and Betsey Wade, early settlers of Greenbush, as well as a blacksmith shop, sawmill, and the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum, which houses Wisconsin’s largest collection of carriages and wagons. Visitors can enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides from the visitor center to the historic core and back again.
Wade House Historic Site & Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum
PO Box 34
W7965 State Highway 23
Greenbush, WI 53026
This program ends at the Wade House Stagecoach Inn located at:
W7767 Plank Rd.
Greenbush, WI 53026
Know Before You Go & Accessibility
- The Old Farm Country Christmas book talk and Q&A session will be held in the Wade House Visitor Center Walnut Room.
- After the talk, sample recipe tastings and craft making will take place at the Wade House Stagecoach Inn.
- Following the book talk and Q&A session from 1:30 PM–3 PM, Wade House will host will an exclusive early screening of PBS Wisconsin’s Jerry Apps: Home for the Holidays from 4:30 PM–6 PM. The film expands upon Old Farm Country Christmas and invites viewers to relive the memories, crafts, traditions, recipes and stories of Midwest Christmases from the Great Depression to the 1950s.
- Attendance for the film screening is free. A donation is recommended.
Have Questions?
For more information, please contact the box office at 608-264-4848 or [email protected]. Please call Wade House at 920-526-3271 if the box office is closed.