"Eggnog, punch, and homemade cookies top off our annual gift to the Village." That line comes from the October 2026 newsletter of the Indian Hill Historical Society, describing its Christmas party on Sunday, December 6.
"Gift" fits the whole month. Indian Hill's holiday season comes from three organizations, each of which looks after a piece of the village's past: a one-room schoolhouse from the 1870s, a working farm that has operated since the 1800s, and a former estate with a pipe organ installed in 1926. Each one builds its December event around the thing it keeps. All three sit on Given Road and Blome Road, and two of them show up at the same party.
A one-room school with the bell still in the belfry
The 46th Annual Village Christmas Party runs Sunday, December 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Little Red Schoolhouse, 8100 Given Rd. The Society's homepage says "Everyone is welcome." It lists a balloon artist, a face painter, the CCDS Nighthawk Band, homemade cookies and eggnog, and asks guests to bring their children, their guests and their camera. The newsletter adds music, jugglers, a magician and punch, so the exact lineup may change before the day. No admission price is listed. The Society has held the party every year since 1980.
The building matters as much as the party. According to the Society's history of the Washington Heights School, it went up in 1873 and 1874. That September, Josephine and Ambrose Buckingham had sold the land to the school board. Before then, local children went to a log cabin across the road. Schoolmaster Charles Earhart taught the first class of 52 students from every grade. The building stayed a one-room school until 1940.
Some of the details guests will see on December 6 come straight from that era. The walls are local brick, probably from nearby Madeira, with masonry detailing that is unusual for a schoolhouse. Inside there are hardwood floors, wainscoting, a wide stretch of blackboard and ten large arched windows. The belfry holds a 200-pound bell that can still be rung. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its later history explains why a historical society runs the party. When Indian Hill incorporated in 1941, the schoolhouse became the new village's administrative offices. That lasted until 1956, when the Administration Building at Drake and Shawnee Run Roads opened. From 1961 to 1972 it housed Board of Education offices. In 1973 the Village Council asked residents to find a new use for it. A steering committee led by Tyler Emerson formed the Indian Hill Historical Museum Association to restore the building and turn it into a community historical center. That group is now the Indian Hill Historical Society, which has about 300 member families and still holds most of its programs in the schoolhouse.
The farm that sends the carriage
At about 2:15 p.m., Santa arrives in a horse-drawn carriage from Turner Farm. That ride links the party to the second organization.
Turner Farm calls itself an organic farm and education center. It is one of two working farms left in Indian Hill, it has operated since the 1800s, and its mission includes the permanent preservation of Turner and Meshewa Farms. Its public classes meet at 7400 Given Road, a short way down the same road from the schoolhouse.
Turner Farm's December classes use what the farm grows and stores. The Handmade Wreath Making class is built from cedar, juniper and arborvitae, and materials, light bites and wine are included. The farm's class catalog lists these December sessions:
- Squash Risotto, Tuesday, December 1, 6 to 8 p.m., $100
- Handmade Wreath Making, Wednesday, December 2, 6 to 8 p.m., $100
- Handmade Wreath Making, Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m. to noon, $100
- Sautéed Kale + Chicken, December 8, $115
- Handmade Wreath Making, December 9, $100
- Supper Time at Turner Farm, December 11, $150
- Christmas Cookies, December 15 and December 17, $70 each
- Holiday Centerpieces, December 16, $100
- Plantain Gnocchi, December 18, $80
The Saturday morning wreath class on December 5 falls the day before the Christmas party. A wreath made there could be on the door by the time the carriage comes up Given Road.
The Turner Farm Market keeps winter hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and is closed Sundays. The party is on a Sunday, so the market is closed that afternoon. If you want to stop at the farm and the schoolhouse the same weekend, go to the market on Saturday.
A 1926 organ and one December evening
The third organization is on Blome Road. Greenacres Foundation's Arts Center at 8400 Blome Rd. is the former historic Fleischmann Estate. Its Aeolian pipe organ was installed in 1926. When Greenacres announced a January 2025 program, it called the instrument a "rarely-heard treasure."
"Rarely heard" describes this year's calendar too. Greenacres' December organ program is The Aeolian Pipe Organ: A Winter Holiday Carol Sing on Friday, December 11. It is the one event on the December 2026 grid of Greenacres' special-events calendar. An earlier 2026 organ program, The Organ & The Opera, ran January 23.
On December 11, the audience sings along. The program includes Carol of the Bells and selections from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, followed by a sing-along of secular winter songs: Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow, Sleigh Ride and Auld Lang Syne. Dr. Christopher Holman leads the evening with a vocalist. He is an organist and conductor who has performed in more than a dozen countries, holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Music from the University of Oxford, and studies historical instruments like the Aeolian organ at Greenacres. He is Director of Music and Assistant Professor at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and School of Theology, the Athenaeum, in Cincinnati.
This event works differently from the schoolhouse party, so plan ahead:
- Buy tickets in advance. Tickets are sold online only through Greenacres' ticketing page. Capacity is limited and walk-ins will not be accepted.
- Know the prices. General admission is $25. Child and student tickets are $15. Greenacres recommends the evening for guests ages 8 and older.
- Arrive early. Gates open at 6 p.m. A cash bar and light snacks are sold until the program starts at 7 p.m. It ends at 8 p.m.
- Leave food and pets at home. No outside food or drink is allowed, and only ADA-certified service animals may attend.
- Dress how you like. Greenacres says a sport coat or dress is welcome, and so are jeans.
For questions, call the Greenacres Events Team at 513-891-4227 ext. 3 or email [email protected].
December 11 is also the night of Supper Time at Turner Farm. That makes it the one evening when both Given Road and Blome Road have a ticketed holiday event on the calendar.
December on two roads, in date order
Here is the month in order:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Dec. 2, and Sat., Dec. 5 | Handmade Wreath Making | Turner Farm, 7400 Given Rd. | $100 |
| Sun., Dec. 6, 2 to 4 p.m. | 46th Annual Village Christmas Party | Little Red Schoolhouse, 8100 Given Rd. | No price listed; everyone welcome |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | Handmade Wreath Making | Turner Farm | $100 |
| Fri., Dec. 11, 6 to 8 p.m. | Aeolian Pipe Organ Winter Holiday Carol Sing | Greenacres Arts Center, 8400 Blome Rd. | $15 to $25, online only |
| Tue., Dec. 15, and Thu., Dec. 17 | Christmas Cookies | Turner Farm | $70 |
| Wed., Dec. 16 | Holiday Centerpieces | Turner Farm | $100 |
Each of these is hosted by a group that keeps up a piece of the village. The Historical Society keeps the schoolhouse, Turner Farm keeps its land in farming, and Greenacres keeps the Fleischmann Estate and its organ. For a few weeks each December, the public gets to use all three. More about the village and its landmarks is on our Indian Hill neighborhood page.
At Andrea Carter, we keep track of traditions like Santa's carriage ride on Given Road because knowing a community's calendar is part of serving the families who live in it. If you have questions about Indian Hill this season, whether about a neighbor's tradition or your own home's place in the village, let's connect.
