Rockingham Times

PORTSMOUTH—Ticket sales begin for Candlelight Stroll, Strawbery Banke Museum’s extremely popular holiday event, on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 10 a.m. The signature event, which showcases more than 350 years of seasonal and holiday traditions against the backdrop of the Museum’s furnished historic houses, occurs on Saturdays, Dec. 3, 10, and 17, from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Sundays, Dec. 4, 11, and 18, from 4 to 8 p.m.. Tickets are available via StrawberyBanke.org/events/candlelight-stroll.cfm.

Tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for children (ages 5-17), and are free for children 5 and under. Strawbery Banke members receive free or discounted tickets based on membership level. Tickets are limited and the event is expected to sell out in advance.

Strawbery Banke Museum’s furnished historic houses are adorned with handmade decorations created from greens and dried flowers from the Museum’s heirloom gardens. Visitors tour the decorated houses and call upon the many families who once lived in the Puddle Dock neighborhood, including the Shapiro family as they prepare for the Hanukkah celebration in 1919, the Goodwin family as they prepare for a Victorian Christmas, and the Abbotts, who await news of soldiers fighting in Europe in the Second World War.

As visitors travel from house to historic house, the glow of hundreds of lit candle lanterns light the way, and guests enjoy seasonal greetings from costumed roleplayers and performers who recreate the traditions of times past. The air is filled with the sound of holiday music by wandering carolers and performers and the scent of woodsmoke from the bonfire.

Ice Dance International’s Currier & Ives Vintage Christmas Skaters perform at various times throughout the evening at Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond. The grove of sponsored holiday trees, traditional demonstrations, and a scavenger hunt provide interactive entertainment for multiple generations. Additionally, visitors enjoy an old-fashioned holiday shopping experience at Pickwick's at the Banke, the Museum store.

“Strawbery Banke is delighted to once more open the historic houses for touring during Candlelight Stroll,'' said Lawrence J. Yerdon, president and CEO. “The Museum is looking forward to blending the new elements from the previous two years with the classic elements that are cherished by so many. It’s wonderful to see this event evolve and become a holiday tradition since its inception in 1979.”

Candlelight Stroll is an anchor for the Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth holiday celebration, along with The Music Hall, the Portsmouth Historical Society, the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, and the City of Portsmouth.

Add-on features (not included with Candlelight Stroll ticket):

• Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond provides seasonal outdoor ice-skating at the heart of the nearly 10-acre living history museum. The rink offers daily ice-skating, daily public skating, private parties, skating lessons, and adaptive ice time. For more information, visit StrawberyBanke.org/skate.cfm
• Holiday Dinners at William Pitt Tavern: Pickwick’s Mercantile and Fezziwig’s Food & Fountain present a ticketed, costumed holiday dining experience in Strawbery Banke’s William Pitt Tavern during each night of Candlelight Stroll. Seatings are at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m.. For more information, visit pickwicksmercantile.com.

Candlelight Stroll 2022 is presented by Amica Insurance. Additional support comes from Lonza, Lincoln Financial Group, the New Hampshire State Council for the Arts, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, R.M. Davis, Portwalk Place, Atlantic Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Ice Dance International, Harbour Women's Health, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Newburyport Bank, M&T Bank, Wentworth Senior Living, Exeter Hospital, The Rowley Agency, New Hampshire AARP, Bottomline Technologies, Piscataqua Savings Bank, and Piscataqua Dental Partners.

For more information about Candlelight Stroll and tickets, visit StrawberyBanke.org.

 

About Strawbery Banke Museum:

Strawbery Banke Museum, in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, NH, is a 10-acre history museum interpreting over 300 years of history, from Indigenous history to the present day, through historical houses on their original foundations, heirloom gardens, traditional crafts, and costumed roleplayers who share the stories of the families who lived in the authentic waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock.

The Museum welcomes visitors, members, schoolchildren, and volunteers for daily programs, exhibits, skating, and signature special events throughout the year. Strawbery Banke Museum is funded in part by grants from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom; and the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. For more information and a complete calendar of events, please visit StrawberyBanke.org.

Original source can be found here.