The Historic Fillebrown House on White Bear Lake will be decked to the nines for the holidays, but about the only thing that is certain is that the Christmas tree will be positioned in the entryway of the Victorian-era cottage.

Beyond that, it's up to the public to give the place a holiday makeover and make it reflect the festive feel of the season.

On Saturday, the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society will unpack boxes of ornaments that date to the 1930s and allow volunteers to place them on the tree and string lights and garlands throughout the house that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The occasion is the annual Christmas Decorating Party, replete with music, door prizes and refreshments.

"This is a task that should be enjoyed and not onerous," said Sara Markoe Hanson, the society's executive director. "Many hands make light work, so we turned it into a party."

The red and green cottage at 4735 Lake Av. was the summer home of Charles P. Noyes, a pharmacist who came to St. Paul in 1868. J. Walter and Harriet Fillebrown bought the cottage in 1905 and donated it to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society in 1978. Decorators are asked to keep in mind what the Fillebrowns might have done in the 1930s and 1940s when selecting their motif, but otherwise there are few restrictions.

One year somebody suggested feathers on the Christmas tree and "it really worked; it was gorgeous," she said. "We don't get wild and crazy. We won't have 17 plastic Santas lining the windows. But different people give it a different dynamic and a different presentation. Things are not automatically put in the same spot. That is what brings people back."

The traditional decorating party is a prelude to two of the society's most popular holiday events. Last year so many people turned out for the Children's Story Time that the event will be held on two evenings this year. From 6 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 8, volunteers will read poems and stories to young children as they sit around the Christmas tree. Children are encouraged to wear pajamas, and cookies and hot or cold cider will be served. Reservations are required.

On Dec. 10, guides will lead tours of the historic house while volunteers play holiday music on the 1868 Steinway grand piano. It is the only day during the holiday season that the public can tour the lakeside cottage -- which is normally used for community or private events but not open for tours -- and learn about the Fillebrown family traditions. One-hour tours of the home will run from 1 to 3 p.m.

Tim Harlow • 651-925-5039 | Twitter: @timstrib