The Douglas County Historical Society is based out of the General Crook House (a restored Victorian-era officer’s mansion on the historic Fort Omaha Metro Community College campus). They curate an annual exhibit, and this year’s is titled Rooted in Diversity: Douglas County Ethnic Heritage. It’s an examination and celebration of the various ethnic groups who have shaped Douglas County and continue to define it today. For the holiday season this year, they are transforming the entire house into a parallel exhibit on holiday traditions around the world.
Natalie Kammerer, a Research Specialist at DCHS, spoke with Mike Hogan at KIOS-FM about how several members of the community who helped with researching the primary exhibit have been invited to come in and decorate a room according to their family’s native traditions. For instance, they’ll have rooms decorated according to the following traditions: Italian Christmas, German Christmas, Mexican and Central American Christmas, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and much more.
The decorated house will be open to the public from November 7, 2021-January 14, 2022 (the Chinese New Year room will stay up until the end of that festival in February). During these weeks, they will also provide a full weekend schedule of educational and entertaining cultural events as well as a Passport Program, prizes, and more. The full schedule can be found on their website at http://www.douglascohistory.org/.
