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On Saturday, December 10th the Lock House Museum will be hosting the 44th Annual Candlelight Tour of Historic Homes in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The tour is an annual fundraiser for the Susquehanna Museum, more affectionately known as “The Lock House.”
Candlelight Tour Chairperson, Julie Ruhnke, is excited about this year’s theme: HdG: Homes, Dining, and Gifts, which “reflects how this event has expanded to include not just our tour of homes and other interesting venues and the Christmas Boutique, filled with wonderful handmade gifts, but also the teaming of our restaurants and stores to support the tour and the City of Havre de Grace. The whole event reflects the warm and diverse character of the city.”
Featured homes on the Candlelight Tour are located on Washington Ave, Market and Union Streets, as well as a number of homes in beautiful Bulle Rock. Homes include both historic and new homes. The homes include an amazing range of renovations, decorations, collections and art. The Tour will also feature the spectacular new public library and several Havre de Grace Churches. Both the Library and churches will feature music, and other surprises are in store! A complete list of homes and attractions on the Tour will be made available in upcoming weeks.
The downtown sidewalks will be lined with luminaries marking the stops along the tour. Director of the Lock House Museum, Mr. Tyler Buck, adds that he is “amazed at the hospitality and creativity of those who open their homes as a part of the Tour and to help support the Lock House. We are very grateful for their participation, but truth be told, I think the homeowners have as much fun as the folks on the Tour.”
This event has grown in popularity each year since its inception in 1972. “For years Havre de Grace has welcomed visitors from around the area to marvel at our architecture, learn about local history, catch up with some old friends and enjoy a festive night out…and this year we predict it will be better than ever” says Ruhnke.
The self-guided tour lasts from 4 to 8 p.m.. Tickets are $20 per person. They can be purchased in advance online and buyers who purchase four tickets online get a fifth one free. Tickets are also available at the Havre de Grace Visitor Center, Bulle Rock Residents’ Club, the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum and Preston’s Stationery in Bel Air. They can also be purchased the day of the tour at the Lock House at 817 Conesteo St.
Coupled with the Candlelight Tour is the very popular Christmas Boutique, featuring a variety of hand-made special gifts, greens and creative items available for purchase from the famed “Lock House Ladies.” Julie Ruhnke adds that, “all items for sale at the Christmas Boutique are created and donated by the creative and talented folks from Havre de Grace and the surrounding area.” The Christmas Boutique also features a gourmet room and a raffle of a complete dinner for eight at The Bayou Restaurant. The Holiday Boutique, located at the Lock House, is open Saturday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, from noon to 4 p.m.
The Candlelight Tour and Christmas Boutique are a fundraiser for the Lock House Museum, but according to Mr. Buck, “it is an event for the entire Havre de Grace community.” Folks are encouraged to come early or stay late to take advantage of the specials offered by local restaurants and businesses which support the Candlelight Tour. The entire Havre de Grace downtown will be lit up with holiday cheer by local businesses and the Havre de Grace Winter Wonderland Committee. So take the tour and see the homes, dine in our restaurants and shop for gifts at the Boutique and downtown. It’s all there for your enjoyment.
Tickets available online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/candlelight-tour-of-historic-havre-de-grace-tickets-28760627812?aff=ehomesaved