58°FOctober 2, 2024 (La Porte) – Preserve Historic La Porte (PHLP), La Porte’s nonprofit historic preservation group, invites you to attend its 2024 Christmas Candlelight Tour of Historic Homes, Saturday, December 7th from 4-8pm, and Sunday, December 8th from 1-5 pm. (All times are Chicago time.) The tour includes 5 private homes, indicated as follows: Christopher Evans and Catherine Abbs, 1209 Michigan Avenue; Darrin and Jennie Riddle, “The Old Ruth” (Former Ruth Sabin Home), 1603 Michigan Avenue; Nicholas and Natalie Mills, 1124 Indiana Avenue; Mike and Barbara Krieg, 1503 Indiana Avenue; and John and Jeanne Rafaj, 1302 Jackson Street. Also included on the tour will be the mid-century Gothic Revival styled St. John’s Lutheran Church, 111 Kingsbury Avenue; and the downtown storefront “A Whole World of Good,” 711 Lincolnway, built in 1890. All 7 sites will be open for self-guided touring, and will be decorated for the holiday season. Also included in your one ticketed price will be live musical entertainment at all locations, and refreshments at the Church.
Advance tickets, $25 each, are available starting October 1st, in La Porte at Coachman Antique Mall, CO-OP Shoppes, Freckle Farm Primitives, Hot Spot Café, the La Porte County Historical Society Museum, Meridian Title, Thode Floral, and Town & Country Florist. In Michigan City, advance tickets are available at the Antique Market and Hoity Toity. Tickets can furthermore be purchased in New Carlisle, at Historic New Carlisle; in Chesterton, at the Red Cup Café; in New Buffalo, at Meridian Title; and in Valparaiso, at Indie Indie Bang Bang. Advance tickets are also available by mail. Payment must be received by December 6th, and such tickets will be provided only on a “will call” basis, at the Church, during tour hours. For advance tickets by mail, send your check for $25 per person, payable to: Preserve Historic La Porte, P.O. Box 853, La Porte, IN 46352. (The organization asks that you please provide an e-mail address or phone number, so they can confirm receipt of your payment.)
At-the-door tickets, $30 each, will be available at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 111 Kingsbury Avenue, during tour hours ONLY. For more information, contact Pam Ruminski at (219) 363-2094, Tim Stabosz at (219) 363-7485, or email p_ruminski@yahoo.com.
Pam Ruminski, long-time chairperson of the Candlelight Tour, stated, “We are excited to announce the return of the Candlelight Tour for 2024. As always, our members, volunteers, decorators, and homeowners are committed to putting on another magical event for everyone.” Preserve Historic La Porte President, Mark Kurth, stated, “PHLP has been conducting the Candlelight Tour dating back to 1996, and 2024 marks our 21st tour. The Candlelight Tour is simultaneously a gathering together of the members of our community, as well as a rolling-out of the welcome mat for tourists, and all those who want to experience the historic beauty of the City of La Porte. Finally, the tour is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of historic preservation in La Porte,” Kurth concluded.
Preserve Historic La Porte is a La Porte-based non-profit citizens group dedicated to the preservation of the city’s historic architecture, and promoting the economic development and quality-of-life benefits of historic preservation.
CONTACT: Pam Ruminski at (219) 363-2094, or Tim Stabosz at (219) 363-7485 for questions about the Candlelight Tour. For questions about Preserve Historic La Porte, contact its President, Mark Kurth, at (773) 315-6667.