Candlelight House Tour
By Jeanne Blackburn
It’s back. Following a three-year break that began in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Frederick’s Candlelight House Tour returns this year. One of the community’s most anticipated holiday events for more than three decades features as many as eight homes whose owners generously open the doors of their beautifully decorated homes to the waiting public for two evenings.
But that is the easy part. Behind the scenes, the tour is a bit like a theater production, with set, cast and crew and much the “audience” never sees.
Plans start early in the year and have been actively in the works for months. The first order of business begins with committee meetings that start in the spring and the selection of homes. Then, docents and house captains have to be selected, as well as designers, decorators and garden experts. All are tapped for their expertise while working with the homeowner on a theme for each stop on the tour.
There are other details. Publicity is created, programs printed and even thank-you baskets are designed for the homeowners. Through it all, there’s coordination. It is a production.
Jen Martin, executive director of Celebrate Frederick, chairs the committee and has been involved with the organization for the past 20 years. She knows the pitfalls of organizing an event with so many moving pieces, that annually raises nearly $40,000, and she endeavors to keep everything on track.
Martin says assembling the team of dedicated volunteers “is the biggest challenge in making the tour a reality.” Being more specific, she adds, “The tour requires a massive amount of volunteer manpower, from the homeowners that graciously agree to open their homes to hundreds of tourgoers and the designers who donate their time and talent to assist them in creating magical, festive spaces, to the over 100 docents who volunteer during the tour weekend to ensure that the event runs smoothly. The Tour requires many hands to make it a success.”
Cristy Stup of Frederick Town Realty began volunteering five years ago and is now instrumental in selecting potential homes to be included in the tour. But she insists it’s a group effort. “The committee pulls together thoughts from any homes they know of. We also ask friends or past tour homeowners if they have any suggestions. Oftentimes an owner who has agreed to it knows of someone in their neighborhood who may be interested,” she says.
In addition to finding the manpower to keep the event on schedule, selecting locations is no easy task, either. “It can be a real challenge to find homes and homeowners willing to participate,” Stup says. “Some homeowners have just remodeled or are in the process of remodeling and don’t feel they are ready. Or they are created but that year’s calendar is too full to make it work. We always keep a running list of homes for the next year’s tour.”
Martin notes that the final selection of homes for the tour is based on several criteria and enumerates “a variety of factors including historical significance, interesting architectural features, ease of flow for large numbers of guests, proximity to other homes highlighted on the tour and unique collections featured in the home, such as art or holiday trims.”
In readying a home for the tour, homeowners are helped by the designers and garden experts. “Designers are paired with homeowners that have a similar aesthetic, so the end result is a true reflection of the homeowners’ style,” Martin says. “We love featuring local designers and garden clubs who collaborate with homeowners to enhance their style and traditional holiday décor, resulting in a showcase of homes that are truly decked for the festive season.”
Volunteers are just as enthusiastic about participating in the Candlelight House Tour as are the homeowners. Karen Coblenz says, “When I was asked to participate as a volunteer, I had no idea what I would be doing. As a recent retiree I have time for volunteering and giving back to the community. I’ve enjoyed meeting the volunteers on the committee and learning what it takes to make the tour happen. And getting holiday decorating ideas for my own home will be a plus.”
The event has evolved over time. Linda Morgan, a longtime volunteer, recalls, “In the very early years of the Christmas house tour, I recall being given $50 to cover expenses. We polished a lot of red apples, cut a lot of greens and borrowed items from neighbors to spruce up the decor.”
Morgan adds, “The Christmas house tour was a hit even on the coldest nights. Whether as a docent, helping to decorate a house, or as a person just enjoying the tour, the spirit of the participants is contagious.”
There also is a sense of being rewarded for months of thoughtful planning and hours of participating among the committee members and volunteers. Martin says, “Having the opportunity to interact with the hundreds of visitors that attend the tour annually as a holiday tradition with their friends and family is one of the most rewarding aspects.”
Stup offers something of a tour secret: “The committee and the homeowners have a private tour the night before [the official tour begins] and seeing all the hard work that went in to making the tour a success is the best feeling.”
Coblenz notes that the end result justifies all the hard work. “The most satisfying thing is sharing the talents of volunteers, and discovering how it will all come together on Dec. 2nd and 3rd is inspiring.”
Martin points out the Candlelight House Tour is also a major fundraiser for Celebrate Frederick, which hosts some of Frederick’s most popular free community events including Frederick’s 4th, In The Streets, the Summer Concert Series and the Kris Kringle Procession. “A portion of this year’s proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity’s West All Saints Street project to renovate three properties on West All Saints Street into 12 units of affordable housing,” she says.
Not a bad way to bring the event back.
“After a three-year hiatus, we’re thrilled that the Candlelight House Tour is returning,” she adds.
This year’s Candlelight House Tour will be held Dec. 2 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Dec. 3 from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $40 for a package that also includes admission to the 2024 Beyond the Garden Gates Tour. Tickets may be purchased at the Frederick Visitor Center, 151 S. East St., or online at www.celebratefrederick.com/events/holidays/house-tour-tickets.