By Nancy Figiel, Public Affairs Director
The holidays are here! After many months of planning, Tryon Palace invites you to the Governor’s Palace to experience the beauty, joy, and magic of the season at North Carolina’s first State Capitol. Our traditional Candlelight Holiday Celebration, on December 11th and 18th, promises to be a heartwarming event to be shared with family and friends.
Candlelight is one of the most anticipated events of the year for New Bernians, a holiday family tradition for many. Over the decades this event has gained statewide notoriety as well. This year, Candlelight was named by Southeast Tourism Society to be one of their Top 20 event choices for the Holiday Season.
Festivities begin at 4:30 pm. Upon arrival be sure to grab a map of the grounds so you can navigate around and not miss any of the festivities. Dependent on your reserved tour time, your evening may begin with a tour through the adorned Palace. There you will visit with historic colonial characters in period dress as you enjoy holiday vignettes between some of the characters. Afterwards, spend the evening exploring the decorated Stanly and Dixon historic homes, enjoying the entertainment in the Performance Tent, or relaxing in the King’s Arms Tavern. Rejoice in the marching rhythms of Tryon Palace’s Fife and Drum Corps and the celebratory fusion of music and dance from Jonkonnu performers. Witness circus acts, fire eating, sword swallowing, acrobatics, and 18th-century magic tricks. The festivities conclude each night with a dazzling black powder firework display on the Palace South Lawn.
Throughout the event, delicious fare can be purchased from food trucks located outside the Palace gates on Pollock Street. Carry this inside the Palace gates to the King’s Arms Tavern where you can grab a seat, relax, and sip on beer or wine, or warm up on hot cocoa paired with sweets at Mistletoe Corner.
Tryon Palace’s Candlelight Christmas Celebration takes place on two consecutive Saturdays in December, the 11th and 18th, beginning at 4:30 pm and ending at 9:30 pm with the fireworks display. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth. Candlelight is a rain or shine event, and fireworks may be cancelled during extreme weather conditions.
In addition to Candlelight, during the weeks prior, the Palace gardens will be offering special holiday Décor Tours and Traditions of Christmas Tours. Call the ticket desk at 252 639-3525 for more information on these informative and festive tours.
In past years, following Candlelight in December, the Palace was gearing up to invite you all back for Winterfeast and its festive binge on roasted oysters and local fare. In 2022, Winterfeast will be held on Saturday, March 26th on the North Lawn of the Palace. 2021 brought many unexpected changes, and this is one of them. We hope you will all extend your anticipation for just two more months and hold your ravenous appetite for oysters and a craving for a great time till then. Look for more details on this event coming soon.
Lastly, the staff at Tryon Palace want to take this moment to wish you all a holiday season that is bountiful in joy, peace and love, and another wish for a happy, healthy, and promising New Year.
Tryon Palace • 529 South Front Street • New Bern, NC 28562 • 252-639-3500 • www.tryonpalace.org