OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS AT THE RAINS HOUSE

The Rains house, a historic site of the San Bernardino County Museum in Rancho Cucamonga, will be the site of an Old-Fashioned Christmas on Friday and Saturday, December 3 and 4, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The event is a fundraiser for the Casa de Rancho Cucamonga Historical Society, which supports programs and preservation efforts at the historical Rains House. The event includes tours of the historic home, which will be decorated seasonally. Hot cider and home-baked ginger cookies will be served, and guests will enjoy traditional holiday music.

Rancho Cucamonga was established by the Mission San Gabriel as a cattle-grazing outpost. The 13,000-acre rancho was granted to Tiburcio Tapia in 1839 and was sold to John Rains in 1858. The Rains House was built of fired brick in 1860. The original house had an entry hall, a parlor, three bedrooms, and a patio area flanked by a dining room, kitchen, and guest rooms. Vineyards around the Rains House, some of which were planted as early as 1839, helped establish Cucamonga as a premiere source of wine and brandy.

The Rains House is at the northeast corner of Vineyard and Hemlock in Rancho Cucamonga. Parking is free.

Donations of $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 5 to 11 are requested for the Old-Fashioned Christmas event. For more information, call (909) 989-4970.