Children’s Village and Holiday Potpourri spices Magnolia’s Christmas scene

A Children’s Village, holiday train rides and an assortment of child-friendly and pet-lover activities will make the Christmas season bright at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

The Children’s Village, a cluster of nine child-sized buildings, including Santa’s workshop, candy factory and elf bunk house, will be open until Dec. 31. The Children’s Village will serve as the depot for the Christmas Train. It will take up 35 passengers on 15-minute rides out the exit road and down the entrance road back to the Children’s Village each weekend until Christmas.

Tori Luke, Magnolia’s student and youth group coordinator, has recruited local organizations and businesses to participate in the first Holiday Potpourri that will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekend until Christmas week. Crafts and games will be offered each weekend. “It is the giving season, and we want the Christmas Village to have something for everyone this time of year,” she said.

The Holiday Potpourri schedule includes:

• Dec. 5: crafts and games for kids
• Dec. 6: Holiday character costume contest; “Frozen” Jump Castle
• Dec. 12:, Lowcountry Muscle Car Club; Summerville Dance Academy
• Dec. 13: Face painting, Melissa Norwood; singer Randall Dukes
• Dec. 19: Howl-a-Days! Dog adoptions, Francis R. Willis SPCA, Charleston Animal Society, Greyhound Pets of    Charleston, and Carolina Coonhound Rescue, Pet- themed crafts, pet portraits and caricatures
• Dec. 20: Pony rides, Lowcountry Party Animals; face painting, Melissa Norwood.

All of the activities are free with garden admission. Magnolia’s gates open daily at 8:30 a.m. and ticket sales end at 4:30 p.m.