Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour is a must-do December experience — and it always sells out

If you’re trying to feel a little merrier and brighter, the 41st annual Friends of Fourth Ward Holiday Home tour should soothe your inner Grinch.

The tour runs December 7th through December 9th. You’ll stroll this adorable gem of a neighborhood and take a peek inside some seriously drool-worthy homes, which are decked out in holiday finery that will put other wreath and lights efforts to shame. Ticket sales from the tour support the Friends of Fourth Ward organization, which goes to better the neighborhood, as well benefiting a number of other charitable groups in the city.

No matter your real estate preferences, you’ll find a house to ooh and ahh over.

Tour Director Beth Walker cites “a picture-perfect Victorian cottage, a glam high-rise condo with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a multi-story townhome with rooftop bar” as some of the must-see stops on the tour this year.

As you move from house to house, Walker advises looking out for the “eye candy” lining the streets, including “twinkling lights, garlands, and bows atop street lanterns. You’ll hear handbells and choirs, and the clip-clop of horse hooves. If this tour doesn’t get you in the mood for the holidays, I’m not sure what will!” she says.

There are a definitely a few tips for Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour first-timers:

• Parking is limited in the neighborhood. Consider using a ride-share service like Lyft or Uber, or taking the Light Rail to the 7th Street Station stop to get there.
• Wear comfortable shoes. You’re about to go on a self-guided walking tour, so don’t let a blister situation dampen your fun. Also, in many of the homes you’ll have to remove your shoes in order to protect the floors (some of which date back to the 1800s) so leave pairs that require a lot of effort to get on and off at home.
• Experience the restaurants in the neighborhood. Fourth Ward is home to a number of culinary gems, like Alexander Michael’s, Poplar Tapas Restaurant & Bar, and others.  Poplar is doing a complimentary small bite for all tour-goers, so make sure to drop by.

• You aren’t required to visit the homes in any specific order. When you check in at the ticket booth, you’ll get a guidebook that shows you the recommended route, but feel free to go in any order you like. If there’s a crowd at one house, move on and come back to it later.
• Buy tickets for Sunday and take a private tour of the elegant McNich House, too. The restaurant is tucked inside a renovated Victorian. On Sunday it’ll be open for tours, and you can even take a peek at the renovated owner’s apartment upstairs.

Most importantly, don’t wait to buy your tickets.

Once more for the procrastinators: seriously, buy your tickets ASAP. When I chatted with Walker, tickets for the tour were already more than halfway sold out. If you’re planning to wait until the day before to snag a pair, think again, or risk being disappointed. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Header photo by Austin Caine