The Marietta Restoration Associates (MRA) Candlelight Tour of Homes is the longest consistently running house tour in the United States. The Golden Anniversary Tour, held in 2015, was amazing and we expect the tour to be even better this year. Thanks to the generosity of our homeowners, our many volunteers and our residents we’re able to put on this great event each year.
The Candlelight Tour for this year features eight beautifully decorated homes. In addition to the house tours, numerous other wonderful attractions will be available to tour goers such as: The Susquehanna Stage Company and Dickens’ Market, the Musselman/Vesta Iron Furnace Center, wine tasting hosted by Nissley Vineyards at The Marietta Community House, the Old Town Hall Museum, the Union Meeting House, and the Atlantic Station featuring Half Nuts Popcorn. For even more to see and do, tour goers can check out New Hope Church on Pine and Market, the train exhibit hosted by CoolTrains, the Gingerbread House Contest, the various artists and craftspeople at several locations, the Rivertown Trolley, and the Jane Austen Society Carolers dressed in period costume. Numerous hospitality stations will be around town for the convenience and comfort of ticket holders.
Last year, James Landis wrote a wonderful book entitled “Candlelight Tours of Marietta 1966-2015”, as a gift to the town and MRA. The book features the histories and photographs of all the homes that have been featured on tour for the past fifty years. You can be purchase a signed copy at this year’s tour or online for $20 by going to the MRA website (mariettarestoration.org).
In addition to our eight featured homes you’ll notice how many homeowners and businesses go all out to Deck the Town for the Candlelight Tour which gets our tour goers in the holiday spirit. As always, our community comes together with pride to kick off the holiday season. MRA is grateful to the attendees who come to tour each year, the proceeds from their tickets are essentially a donation which enables Marietta Restoration Associates to support and preserve our historic properties which maintains the history and integrity of our town.
The Candlelight Tour Committee works hard to make the tour a great experience for all tour goers and strives to keep it interesting and new each year. There is so much variety on the tour that guests to our town can spend a full day enjoying everything our town has to offer which includes local businesses and restaurants. Please plan to attend the 51st Tour. It’s always the first Sunday in December. MRA is currently looking for volunteers to help with the many projects and events they sponsor.
Prior To Tour We Host Two Free Events:
SUNDAY, November 20th from 2:00-4:00 pm – Decorating Workshop at the Union Meeting House – 80 N. Waterford Ave.
SATURDAY, November 26th from 6:30-8:30 pm – The Christmas Tree Lighting at the Old Town Hall Museum (located just across from the Union Meeting House). After Tree Lighting go over and see Santa at the Union Meeting House so you can tell him what you’d like for Christmas. Refreshments and treats will be available for the kids.
TOUR TRANSPORTATION
While the Tour is considered a walking tour, we will have three school buses and the Rivertown Trolley running through town for your convenience. The school buses run from 11:00-7:00 p.m. and the trolley runs from 11:00-5:00. Please keep in mind that if you park at the Donegal Intermediate School and you are planning to stay in town to see a show at the Susquehanna Theatre or to have dinner in town at one of our wonderful taverns and restaurants, that the buses stop running at 7:30. You will need to catch a bus back to the school to retrieve your vehicle and bring it into town – parking is free on Sundays. Pre-tour ticket price is $18 and day of tour ticket price is $20 – to buy online go to our website mariettarestoration.org.
This year’s Tour is December 4, 2016. For more information about Marietta events check out our website: www.mariettarestoration.org or contact mariettafundraising@hotmail.com
A full pictorial preview of 2016 Tour Homes is here: http://www.mariettarestoration.org/2016-pictorial-review.html