Imagine an early December day in a small coastal town. The afternoon light is already beginning to slant through the leaves that are still on the trees, and the ones that have fallen create a pleasing, crunchy sound as you walk from house to house. This is the setting for Manteo Preservation Trust’s Holiday Tour.
This year’s tour, the 18th, will be held on December 5. Tourgoers will wind through the quiet, historic streets of Manteo and across the bridge to Roanoke Island Festival Park. In an easily walkable four-block area, you will see island homes and a few surprise spots too.
Many of the homes are more than 100 years old and have been restored, carefully maintaining the Manteo architectural style. Others are newer but, again, have been built to fit into the town’s history and personality. A few of the properties have been repurposed from their origins, and it’s one of the interesting aspects for tourgoers to see how the integrity of a structure can be maintained while its purpose changes.
From its beginning in 2000, the main purpose of the tour has been to educate through enjoyment. As you go through these homes, you’re able to appreciate the architecture and construction, but you’re also able to envision what life in some of these homes was like many decades ago. And the hope of Manteo Preservation Trust is that, along with the fun of touring from house to house, you will also end with a deeper understanding of what a difference it makes in a town to pre serve the culture and history through its structures, new and old.
And while the tour never was intended to be a decorating contest, through the 17 previous tours many have commented on how they came away with so many ideas of how to create holiday magic in their own homes. Wandering from room to room, you might see decorated trees, fully set holiday tables, displays using native plants and flowers, mantles festooned with greenery, ornaments and lights – all interpreted through the owners’ lens.
But sometimes a lot of the magic is outside, especially as the sun begins to set. That’s when the stroll along the sidewalks becomes a twinkling show. Candles glow from windows, outside lights sparkle on porches or illuminate trees, shiny ornaments hang from branches … and all is calm, all is bright.
Through the generosity of Manteo Cyclery, tour participants can opt to ride a bike around the tour instead of walking. Brian Brockway, the owner of the shop, offers his bikes of all sizes for free! For many, this is an even more fun way to experience the tour.
Come experience this special holiday time in Manteo. It’s all a part of the holiday festivities on the waterfront the first week end in December. The fun starts on Friday evening with caroling and the lighting of the huge town tree. It continues with the Christmas Parade on Saturday morning, where kids get to see Santa ride on a fire truck. After the parade there’s time for lunch at one of the Manteo restaurants (most of which offer discounts on that day for tourgoers) before taking part in the Holiday Tour on Saturday afternoon. It’s a wonderful way to start the festive season!
Manteo Preservation Trust Holiday Tour
Saturday, December 5, 1 to 6 p.m.
Tickets are $25 per person. You can purchase them here or on the day of the tour at 108 Budleigh, the Reception Center, starting at 11:30 a.m.
No early entry is available. This is a rain or shine event. Please note that strollers cannot be accommodated inside the houses.
Visit with Manteo Preservation Trust at the Merry Market
November 20, 5 to 8 p.m.
Located at George Washington Creef Park beside the Maritime Museum.
Learn more about the Trust and visit booths from local vendors for some early holiday shopping.
ManteoPreservationTrust.com
For more information, call Theresa at (703) 470-9436.
About the Author Beth P. Storie
Beth Storie first came to the Outer Banks for the summer of 1976. She fell in love with the area and returned for good three years later. She and her husband published the national guidebook series, The Insiders' Guides, for more than 20 years and now are building OneBoat guides into another national brand. After spending time in many dozens of cities around the country, she absolutely believes that her hometown of Manteo is the best place on earth, especially when her two children, six cats and one dog are there too.
