COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster invite South Carolinians and their families to join them for a Christmas Open House on Monday, December 6, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Governor's Mansion. Simone Bryant of Benedict College will sing carols, and light refreshments will be served. The event is free of charge, open to the public, and no reservations are required. 

The First Family asks that open house guests consider bringing canned goods to be donated to the Harvest Hope Food Bank. 

The Columbia Garden Club, which has decorated the Governor's Mansion for Christmas every year since 1981, began decorating this week when the Governor's Mansion received Christmas trees from Price's Christmas Tree Farm and poinsettias from the Lexington Technology Center's chapter of Future Farmers of America — all of which will be on display during the open house. 

Governor's Mansion Executive Chef Pete Bowes and his team will build a gingerbread house for display. Wreaths and bows within the Mansion Complex are made and hung by the Horticulture Division of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. 

Regular docent-guided Christmas tours will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings on December 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16, at 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00 AM. They are free of charge but are by reservation only. Anyone interested in scheduling a tour should call (803) 737-1710. 

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