Experience virtual Christmas Tour of Lewes Dec. 5
All are welcome to experience historic Lewes in holiday mode as nine homeowners open their doors virtually to the community during the Lewes Historical Society’s 47th annual signature event, A Christmas Tour of Lewes.
Viewers will be led on this professionally filmed and narrated house tour by host Michael Sprouse, a television and radio personality who has served as on-air host and executive producer of The Arts & Entertainment Report for WRDE.
During this 60-minute exclusive video, Sprouse will take viewers through each of the nine homes, pointing out unique aspects of each design while focusing on architecture and history. From Colonial to Federal to a beach house, all nine residences will be on display in their full holiday glory.
The video presentation will have drone footage of each home, and will conclude with an added bonus featuring the creation of a traditional wassail bowl by celebrity Cape Gazette columnist Denise Clemons. The opportunity to view the interiors and exteriors of the homes on tour will be accessible for a month.
Tickets can be purchased through Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. The link to the tour will be available at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5. Tickets are $25.
Event ticket holders will also be granted access to a new exhibit, Breaking Britannia's Grasp, at the Cannonball House located at 118 Front St.
The Holiday Village & Market on the society's main campus at 110 Shipcarpenter St. in Lewes will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5. Admission is $5, and children under 12 enter free. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase greenery and decorations and do some holiday shopping with more than a dozen unique vendors. Historic interpreters will roam the property or be sitting near the fire pit reading classic Dickens tales.
The society will open the doors to a few historic properties to allow visitors to pass through safely while viewing three decorated eras of Christmases past. The Hiram Rodney Burton House will display professionally decorated, handcrafted dollhouses. Raffle winners for the stunning miniatures created by local designers and decorators will be drawn at 3 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7. Tickets are $5 per chance and available to purchase at the society’s Ryves Holt House.
Dollhouses will be on display in the window of Citizens Bank on Second Street, Lewes for two weeks prior to the holiday event.
Art collectors can buy a raffle ticket for artist Jean Doran’s rendition of the historic “Doctor’s Office,” created in brilliant acrylic colors. The winning ticket also will be drawn Dec. 7.
After a festive day, the society will present Albert Finney’s “Scrooge” from 5 to 7 p.m., on a large outdoor screen. Seating pods will assure attendees are safely distanced from their neighbors. The cost for the movie is $5. Tickets are available online only and are limited to the first 100 people.
For more information about these and other Lewes Historical Society events, go to historiclewes.org.
