Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour 2019

Did you know there's now a separate "Magical Candlelight Christmas-town 2022" page? It will be your best source for following along as we begin to roll out specifics about the December 2 event. We'll feature newsy tidbits on some of our performers and give sneak previews of tour-home preparation. Hop on over on Facebook to the "Magical Candlelight Christmas-town 2022" page, hit "Like", and you'll be notified of page updates. Better yet, share it with your friends! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085450407253

If you enjoyed the 2019 home tour, we hope you'll join us on December 2 with an expanded version of Christmas lights, sounds, and activities duringMagical Candlelight Christmas-town 2022.

Magic 11th Street Dedicated to the preservation of 11th Street in Garland, TX

The same carriage company that gave memorable rides during the 2019 home tour returns to downtown Garland on April 18 and 19 for rides after "Becoming Garland Avenue--2020 Revival".

TAKE A HORSEDRAWN CARRIAGE RIDE AROUND DOWNTOWN AFTER "BECOMING GARLAND AVENUE" MUSICAL

Majestic Carriage Rides will take attendees on horsedrawn carriage rides through downtown Garland following the "Becoming Garland Avenue--2020 Revival" matinees on April 18 and 19.

The carriage company was hugely popular in December when it brought three carriages for horsedrawn-carriage tours around Garland's Travis College Hill during the Magical Candlelight Home Tour.

Thanks to the generosity of Garland downtown developer Robert A. Smith and Rosalind Coffee TX, cost will be only $5 for each rider on the 9-passenger limousine carriage (often used in weddings) during the 10-minute ride.

Majestic Carriage Rides is known for its popular Christmas carriage rides in Highland Park and other areas. Beautiful, trained horses and decorated carriages/wagons are a trademark of the company.

The carriage will be waiting outside the Plaza Theatre Downtown Garlandafter the original musical drama ends, at about 4:20 p.m. The firm will continue the carriage rides until 7 p.m. each evening. It will take attendees past local restaurants and businesses in its 10-minute tour around downtown.

The musical, brought back by popular demand after last year's performance sold out two weeks early, brings to life actual events that happened in early Garland in 1913 during a major residential expansion on Garland's western fringes. City leaders and citizens of that day are depicted. The play has an original script and 10 original songs.

Tickets for "Becoming Garland Avenue—2020 Revival" are available at the Granville Arts Center Box Office, 972-205-2790, or http://bit.ly/BecomingGarlandAve Downtown Garland

Zee Travel Tales' visit to Garland for the Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour two weeks ago continues to inspire her posts. This one includes an interview in the living room of one of the homes on tour. Scroll down to see Zee's interview with homeowner Louis Moore

Zee Travel Tales Not just Christmas trees! December in the Dallas area brings scary rollercoasters, the abominable snowman, and passionate historians.

Our Santa who visited Garland during the recent Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour 2019 developed such a great love for our hometown and its people, he sent along a poem that he was inspired to write, in part, because of the Christmas spirit he experienced here!

Santa has returned to his usual perch, but he sent along this meaningful poem to the folks from Garland and surrounding areas that he met on the home tour:

"CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: JUST DO IT!

This is a seasonal message, although you may not want to hear it,
About spreading cheer and joy and the all-important Christmas spirit.
Oh, sure, there are the gifts and toys for all the girls and boys,
And chestnuts and cider and beverages suitable for every age.
But you also get some nice advice from this red-suited sage.

As in your own childhood, not every household is festive and gay,
Many are cold and dreary, undecorated and dismally gray.
How can we grow Christmas spirit, if we put our minds to it?
We offer a smile, a homemade gift, a hot meal. WE JUST DO IT!

Every good deed should come with a generous smile,
Make it personal; make it real, and do it with style.
Don’t worry about all the retailing hype.
Do it with a cheerful heart … and nary a gripe.

Just remember, Christmas is not about you or me.
It does NOT matter where you live or in what century.
Christmas is about sharing and caring, not only for yourself.
It’s about the gift of a child as much as this fat old elf.

So, be generous in thought, be forgiving, be kind,
And make every effort to bear this in mind:
The true reason for this wonderful holiday season
Is that by helping others, it’s yourself you’ll be pleasin’."

Louis Moore Preston Kirk

The beautiful gold angel that saw many Christmases when Garland's Historic Pace House was an event center presides over the entry hall at the Pace during the recent Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour. The angel accessory came with the house when the turn-of-the-last-century dwelling was moved from behind Garland's City Hall to 317 South 11th Street in October 2014.

Choirs and other musical groups from area churches added a special dimension to the Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour 2019. Beautiful music serenaded guests to Garland's 11th Street and Embree as visitors made their way to tour the sparkling homes and enjoy the food and other activities that were part of the tour last Thursday night. A special thank you to Stephen Stanley and Daphne Manor Stanley for keeping things moving at the Caroling Station. Thanks to First United Methodist Church Garland (High-Strung Strings), First Baptist Garlandcarolers, First Presbyterian Church Garland Chancel Choir, Wilshire Baptist Church (Wilshire Winds and New Song Senior Adult Community Choir), Light of the World Church, and First Baptist Church Hispanic Congregation singers.

Thanks to travel blogger Zee Lebega for her fabulous video blog (the first of 2) of our Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour. She captured the essence so well.

🎅🏽🎄😀 Bustling downtown Garland was fun but perhaps a sensory overload for some (music! vendors! sledding down a snow hill!  fireworks!). Another option: The Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour in historic Travis College Hill and Embree.  It was a family-friendly celebration and an opportunity for history buffs to geek out. In addition to seeing the historic homes and imagining life there in the 1910s, you could enjoy caroling, go on a carriage ride, see a living nativity, stuff your face with hotdogs and cookies, sip some comforting hot cocoa, and confide all your secrets to Santa. Another version of this video is on my other account: @VideoZee #videozee #garlandtx #dallastx #dallasblogger #TravelTexas #TexasTravel #ExploreTexas #visitTexas #instagramTexas #instaDFW #santaclause #dearsanta #santaclausiscomingtotown #readyforchristmas #historybuff #historichomes #historicpreservation #historicbuilding  #vintage #christmastrees

Thanks to Kim Dennis Everett and The Garland Texan for coverage of the Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour last Thursday night. Wonderful photos and article!

Christmas events get season off to merry start - The Garland Texan Website There was lots of fun for all ages at the Magical Christmas Candlelight Home Tour and the city of Garland’s Christmas on the Square event Thursday, Dec. 5. Both events helped get visitors into the holiday spirit and got the season off to a great start.   Friends of Garland’s Magic 11th Street s...