Holiday Homes Tour brings New Bern history to life. Here are the homes being featured
After a banner year in 2022, The Holly and The Ivy Holiday Homes Tour will return to New Bern next month with an up-close look at some of the city's famed historic homes.
Hosted by the New Bern Woman’s Club, the event offers participants a chance to get an up close and personal look at some of New Bern’s famed historic homes while supporting scholarships and contributions to local charitable causes.
This year’s 23rd annual Holly and Ivy event will take place on Saturday, December 10, from 10:30 am until 3:30 pm. with a celebration of New Bern’s architectural history. The guided tours will feature six homes built in a range of styles and dates, decorated for the holidays in New Bern’s downtown historic district.
Tour guides in Victorian-era dress will lead participants through the homes as they hear about their history and details about the holiday decorations
In addition, this year the tour will include First Presbyterian Church, one of the oldest church buildings in the state.
All net proceeds from the tour benefit the Woman’s Club's three annual college scholarships, two of them for Craven Community College students, as well as local nonprofit organizations including the Boys & Girls Club, Religious Community Services, The Friends of the Library and the Craven College Student Emergency fund.
This year the student scholarships have been raised from $1,000 to $2,500 each after the success of 2021 The Holly and The Ivy Holiday Homes Tour.
The homes included in this year’s tour are:
First Presbyterian Church (Sanctuary and Session House) (ca 1820) #400 New Street
The Claudius Foy House (The Sugar Plum Treats House (ca 1901) 512 Middle Street
Coor-Bishop House (ca. 1770-1778) 501 East Front Street
Dunn Building Condo (ca: 1924, 2016) 254 Pollock Street
The Aerie Bed and Breakfast- Street-Ward House (ca. 1882) 509 Pollock Street
Charles T Watson House (ca. 1882) 516 Pollock Street
There will be musicians at three sites for this year’s Holly and Ivy Tour: Dee's Dulcimers will be playing at First Presbyterian Church Session House; the Silver Lining Singers will be singing at the Coor-Bishop House, and The Bonafides of New Bern will be performing at the Charles T. Watson House.
Participants will also be treated to cookies and cider at the Sugar Plum Treats House.
Tickets are on sale at Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle Street, New Bern; via PayPal on a will-call basis through the Woman's Club website, newbernwomansclub.com; and starting November 16 at Harris Teeter locations in New Bern on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and on Waterscape Way by Carolina Colors.
Tickets are $15 in advance and 20 on the day of the event.
The Holly and The Ivy Tour was sidelined in 2020 due to COVID-19 but came back strong in 2021, attracting visitors to Kinston, Wilmington, Raleigh, and Greenville, according to organizer Brenda Harris.
This year also marks the first time the Holly & Ivy Tour has sought a sponsor, with Century 21 Coastal Advantage pitching in with a $2,000 contribution.
The Woman’s Club also recruited house sign sponsorships from local businesses.
“Last year, we strategized how we could increase our proceeds and give more, without raising the ticket price,” Harris said. “We decided to recruit corporate or individual house sign sponsors for the front of each of the six houses on the tour.”
Reporter Todd Wetherington can be reached by email at wwetherington@gannett.com. Please consider supporting local journalism by signing up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Holiday Homes Tour feature several stunning, historic New Bern homes
