I've always wanted to go to Strawbery Banke for their Candlelight Stroll.  Maybe I'll give it a try this year.  The event just reeks of a "Yankee" Christmas and I love the sound of it.  I couldn't think of a better location to wander around luminaria-lit lanes than Strawbery Banke, the location of oh-so-many grammar school field trips from my youth.  

It's like, so, vintage.

The historic houses will be decorated with festive finery.  You know, the kind of holiday decorations they used back in the day:  juniper branches and balsam boughs, dried flowers, orange slices and cranberries.  Oooh, I can smell it now. 

I read about this Candlelight Stroll a few years ago.  It was intriguing to me, but I never could fit it into my holiday schedule that year.  For all my attempted antique-collecting and auction attending, I had a certain fondness for Strawbery Banke and its costumed interpreters.  This year, the "Banke" is pulling out all the stops.  I hear they even have Mabel Storer's 1884 wedding gown on display in the Goodwin Mansion.  Although I'm not sure how that applies to Christmas, I have visions of antique lace and silver bells in my head. 

One thing that does apply is a display of "Leisure Time" objects.  And they are surely not referring to Playstation 3 and Chicken Dance Elmo.  The objects, a collection of period toys and games used over the past few centuries, will be on display at the Rowland Gallery, which will be open to the public for the first time this year. 

This upcoming weekend, December 15-16, marks the final weekend of the traditional stroll.  Visit http://www.strawberybanke.org for ticket information.