Candlelight Tours at the Chief Vann House Historic Site will be hosted the second weekend of December, Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th from 5-9 p.m. To best enjoy your experience please arrive by 8:30 p.m., as the candles will be extinguished at 9 p.m. No reservations are needed for this event; if you are bringing a large group, try to arrive earlier in the evening. There is no rain date for the event, and it will be held rain or shine.
Officials said, "The cool winds are settling in and the holidays are here.
Ring in the season with Candlelight Tours at the Chief Vann House to see the historical plantation house decked with boughs, bows, greenery and other decorations inspired by a 19th century Moravian Christmas celebration. Visitors attending the event will tour the lovingly decorated house by the light of more than 100 candles while listening to live music sponsored by the Friends of the Chief Vann House. The tour doesn’t end there; visitors are invited to enjoy a cup of hot cider and Moravian cookies while touring the Vann Kitchen exhibit and the 19th Century Cherokee Farmstead exhibit also illuminated by candlelight. Of course, the Visitor Center will also be open for a viewing of our site film and gallery.
"This annual event celebrates the many Christmases hosted by the Moravian missionaries who operated a western-style school (sponsored by the Vann family) for Cherokee children from 1801 until 1835. It is likely the missionaries were hosting the first formal Christmas celebrations within the Cherokee Nation. In the early 1800s, the Moravians at the Springplace Mission recorded that their Christmas service was one of the most well-attended services of the whole year. Traditional gifts were often paper scrolls with beautifully scripted bible verses inside a painted wreath border, and a small candle for each service attendee. A traditional Moravian Christmas is often accompanied by a 'Lovefeast' and 'Singstunde,' wherein the merriment was singing, praying and the sharing of food and drink.
"If you can’t make it to Candlelight Tours, the rest of December will also be a beautiful time to tour the Vann House Historic Site. Our natural, hand-crafted decorations will remain in place through the end of December. They can be viewed during an hourly guided tour included in admission. On Dec. 13 and 14, we will not host tours on the hours of noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. in preparation for the event. Stay tuned on our Facebook, Friends of the Chief Vann House, for updates."
Admission for Candlelight Tours will be $8 per person, no tax. Children five and under are free. Friends of the Vann House passes will be accepted. The Vann House will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28 to observe Thanksgiving. From December through March, the Vann House will be closed on Sundays. Regular hours are Thursday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. December-March: closed on Sunday. Last tour of the day always begins at 4 p.m.