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Today's one of the busiest days of the year here at Colonial Williamsburg... Grand Illumination, the official start of the Christmas season. Tonight, there will be entertainment on various stages throughout town, followed by the Fifes & Drums and a fireworks display; electric candles are lit in the windows of all the historic buildings to simulate how they might have appeared at Christmas in the 18th century. And by that point, I'll be back home, because it's just way too chaotic and crowded. I attended it a couple of times way back when we first moved to Williamsburg, but it's gotten more and more difficult to navigate each year, so eventually I just gave up. (I could've worked as a "barrier attendant", keeping people away from dangerous areas; but even at $13.50 an hour, it didn't seem worth it to stick around for that.)

The day itself hasn't been as crazy as I'd expected... the streets are busy, lots of people are arriving for the evening, but it's been nowhere near as hectic as the day after Thanksgiving. That was one of the most exhausting days I've ever worked here... more than 400 people an hour were visiting the Blacksmith shop, and sites that usually get far less business were swamped. Today's been nothing compared to that. Fortunately, I also got a reasonably calm assignment, giving breaks to the interpreters at the doors of the Cabinetmaker (very laid-back, since it's on a back street and down a hill) and the Courthouse (somewhat busier, right on the main street near one of the stages).

I also have to lock up the break room once I'm finished with afternoon breaks, so I won't get out of here quite as early as I'd hoped. If I'm lucky, the traffic won't be too horrible on the way home...