The first party of the holiday season on San Juan Island is big, colorful, musical, and tasty. And it’s free and open to the public.

The San Juan Historical Museum’s Old-Fashioned Holiday Celebration is tonight, 5 p.m., at the museum, 405 Price St., Friday Harbor. It’s traditionally been the first holiday event in December on the island.

The museum’s heritage buildings will be decorated in holiday lights and finery; the 1894 King Farmhouse will give a sense of what a large holiday gathering might have been like in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“Santa will not be in attendance because he’ll be busy getting ready for the big day,” museum director Kevin Loftus said. “But we’ll have a lot of fun for all ages. You can warm up with some free chili and hot apple cider. You can join carolers in some holiday songs, and enjoy live music by Kirk Fuhrmeister & Friends. You can enjoy some holiday desserts in the warmth of the old farmhouse. Special activities will be held in the museum’s resource center too.”

The Old-Fashioned Holiday Celebration is one of several special community events hosted on the historical museum grounds during the year. The museum hosts the Kiwanis Club’s Pig War Picnic on July 4 and Island Rec’s summer Music on the Lawn concert series, and sponsors exhibits and presentations related to San Juan Island history.

For more information about the museum and its services, visit www.sjmuseum.org.