Kevin Harris, Linda Konig and Rebecca Brown, seated, are among the 13 Lantern Tour presenters.
The 2014 version of Historic Rugby’s unique Lantern Tour of Laurel Dale Cemetery, on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern (5:30 Central), will unveil several new characters from Rugby’s past as costumed presenters share the stories of a colorful assortment of the graveyard’s residents.
Hear in their own words from two locally-born women, one known for shooting a wild boar in her back yard and the other great-granddaughter of Rugby’s miller. There’s also the British-born wine merchant turned chicken farmer who holds the Rugby record for bankruptcies, as well as singing for entertainment.
Those and others now dearly departed will tell their tales in Laurel Dale Cemetery where each lies. They speak for themselves in words taken from letters, diaries, newspaper accounts and interviews.
Tickets at $10, or $5 for students through grade 12, are limited to 40 total because of the outdoor setting on sacred ground, so reservations are required. Call 423-628-2441 or 888-214-3400 to reserve or for lodging information.
“Visitors have enjoyed this century of stories for several years now, and with the new characters even those who attended before will find some surprises,” said Mike Harris, coordinator of the program that benefits non-profit Historic Rugby. “Both the last two years’ editions sold out, and we think this one will too. It’s history told in a unique way.”
Participants may want to dine beforehand at Historic Rugby’s Harrow Road Café, with its British and American dishes. For group reservations, call 423-628-2350.
Rugby, founded in 1880 as a British-American utopian village, is just off State Scenic Hwy. 52, 16 miles southeast of Jamestown and 35 miles from either Interstate 40 or I-75 in East Tennessee.