YOSEMITE HERITAGE HOLIDAYS AT THE AHWAHNEE - 2007

Yosemite Fun: Everyone who moseyed up to the Ahwahnee in March 2007 had a fabulous time. The weather was perfect: snow all around to admire but not actively falling. On top of a full round of delightful events, a few hardy souls made it up to Yosemite Falls after the Ball in evening wear and sensible shoes. Some great photos on Flickr, including a bravura set from Green Flash Photog. http://flickr.com/photos/7256413@N07/sets/72157594582726629/

SHADES OF THE AHWAHNEE: The Royal Society Jazz Orchestra's new CD is entitled, "Deja Vu." It features songs that the RSJO has played to great appreciation at many recent events including an evening concert under the coastal redwoods, and a Grand Ball at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, for the Heritage Holidays, (Fabulous annual three-day event which celebrated vintage western style in music, clothing, art, and architecture). Two songs among my personal favorites are the poignant "Redwood," and the rousing "Hetch Hetchy." The latter has inspired audiences to spontaneously break out in eccentric "nature" conga lines! And all the songs were written by Don Neely! Tom Bopp, our "Music Man Of The Mountains," sings four songs including the spirited "Hetch Hetchy." (Tom plays piano and sings at the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite). You will also hear Frederick Hodges, Don Neely, and Carla Normand sing these wonderful new songs, or as Don describes them, "new old standards."


Yosemite’s Heritage Holidays at The Ahwahnee 2007
Program Schedule – (W)=Western Theme Events

Sunday, March 4

Monday, March 5

Tuesday, March 6

Press Release, 2007

AUTHENTIC VINTAGE FASHION, GLAMOUR, MUSIC AND MERRIMENT
HIGHLIGHT 2007 YOSEMITE HERITAGE HOLIDAY

Three-night all-inclusive packages now available for The Ahwahnee’s annual Roaring Twenties cultural celebration, March 4-6, 2007

For latest news and a complete schedule and dinner menu, visit the Special Events page at www.yosemitepark.com.

EVENT: Yosemite Heritage Holiday at The Ahwahnee
DATE: March 4-6, 2007
LOCATION: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park
ORDER PHONE: 559-253-5676

Relive the glamorous Art Deco Era at The Ahwahnee, Yosemite's historic luxury hotel. Learn about the history and cultural styles of the period (encompassing the 1920s, 30s and 40s) at daytime lecture/demos; at night, enjoy vintage music and dance, and a gala dinner recreating the best of the past.

Vintage-themed activities during the Yosemite Heritage Holidays range from classic movies and fashion shows to great musical performances and dancing in the Ahwahnee’s famed Great Lounge. Highlighting the festival schedule are two guest favorites:

  • Monday’s four-course Gala Dinner in the luxurious Ahwahnee Dining Room features a 1920s-inspired menu, vintage evening attire, and period music performances by Tom Bopp, Frederick Hodges and Anne Gibson
  • Tuesday’s Grand Ball is the spectacular event finale, highlighted by the 12-piece Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, performances by the Deco Belles professional dance troupe, festive fashions and dancing in The Ahwahnee’s Great Lounge.
  • Also returning are Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys and Sara Klotz de Aguilar, who turn the Ahwahnee Bar into a 1920s Speakeasy.

The 2007 event will feature a glimpse at the rise of the Western look – in art, architecture, fashions and movies – during the early 20th Century. Among the programs are a cowboy campfire-song sing-along, a vintage fashion show exploring the development of Western wear from working cowboy gear to movie glamour, a visit from a Will Rogers re-enactor, and a Western Swing dance complete with dance lesson.

Value-added lodging packages are offered for the celebration at both The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. The Heritage Holiday packages include accommodations for two and entrance to all themed program activities, plus two tickets to Monday’s Gala Dinner, and a themed keepsake item. Packages at The Ahwahnee cost just $699 plus tax per couple for two nights and $899 plus tax for three nights. At nearby Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, two nights cost $399 plus tax and three nights are $499 plus tax.

Tickets for Monday’s Gala Dinner are available to the public for $99 per person, including wine, tax and gratuity. The other Heritage Holidays activities are complimentary for all Yosemite Park visitors.

For more information on Yosemite’s Heritage Holidays, or to make a reservation, call 559-253-5676 or visit www.yosemitepark.com. The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls are operated by DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. an affiliate of Delaware North Companies.

About Delaware North Companies
DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite is an affiliate of Delaware North Companies and Yosemite’s authorized National Park Service concessionaire providing lodging, food and beverage services, gift and grocery stores, recreational activities, and transportation for the Park’s 3.5 million annual visitors. Delaware North Companies is a leading hospitality provider with significant experience in hotel, retail, food service, recreation and transportation operations. The company's portfolio includes some of the unique properties in North America, including Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Yellowstone national parks; Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite; Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa near Vancouver, British Columbia; Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds; Niagara Falls State Park; Jones Beach State Park; the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and Denver; The Lodge & Conference Center at Geneva State Park, Ohio; The Resort at Glacier, Montana; and The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in New Hampshire.

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RESERVATIONS NOTES: Please call the main reservation number 559-252-4848 and ask for Heritage Holidays at the Ahwahnee. (Don't ask for "art deco" -- it's Heritage Holidays!) Visit the link to the Ahwahnee page for special promotions.

Briefly, lodging packages are per-couple, and one may choose to stay at the Ahwahnee OR Yosemite Lodge, for either two nights or three. The price includes double room, two tickets for the Gala dinner in the gorgeous Ahwahnee dining room, and all special events.

All Music and Lecture events at the Ahwahnee Hotel are FREE.

For questions, call the Art Deco Hotline: 415-982-DECO or email Zelda
For reservation questions, call The Ahwahnee: 559-252-4848.