Tryon Palace’s famed holiday celebration, Candlelight, was warmly welcomed back for 2021 with a record-setting number of attendees.
Candlelight offers an evening of holiday festivities to be enjoyed by all ages, with performances by Tryon Palace’s Fife & Drum Corps and Jonkonnu Troupe, old-time circus and magical acts under the entertainment tent, and food trucks and treats on site. The decorated Stanly and Dixon historic homes are open to the public, and ticket holders with a reserved time can tour the decorated Palace, complete with garland and costumed characters festively enjoying the season as well as a short vignette based on the story of how John Stanly met his wife.
Tickets are still available for tours after 7:30 pm for night two of Candlelight on December 18. Ticketed guests are welcome on site any time throughout the night to enjoy all of the activities. The reserved ticket times are for Palace Tours only. Per Governor Cooper’s Executive Order, masks are required indoors for tours of the historic homes and Palace, and but are not required outside while enjoying festivities on the Palace grounds. A wonderful display of black powder fireworks will finish the evening off at 9:30, after the final tour guests are out of the Palace.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.tryonpalace.org/candlelight.
By Nancy Figiel, Public Affairs Director, Tryon Palace
About Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace, located in New Bern, NC, is part of the Office of Archives and History, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Tryon Palace is one of North Carolina’s most significant historic sites. It is the home of the Governor’s Palace, North Carolina’s first colonial and first state capitol, and includes historic buildings, gardens, and the North Carolina History Center, which revolutionizes the visitor experience through use of the latest interactive technology. The History Center includes galleries, a performance hall, the museum store, and a waterfront café. Tryon Palace’s mission is to engage present and future generations in the history of North Carolina from early settlement in 1710, through the development of statehood, and into the mid-twentieth century. It is dedicated to collecting, interpreting, and preserving objects, buildings, landscapes, and events that enrich understanding of the making of our state and nation.
Tickets and visitor information are available at the Tryon Palace Waystation, located at the corner of George Street and Pollock Street in New Bern. For directions and further information about special events, programs or group tours, employment and more, visit our web site: www.tryonpalace.org or phone (800) 767-1560 or (252) 639-3500.