Annual Tour of Homes:
A Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place
The annual Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place takes place every year during the first weekend in December and offers a mix of homes from mansions to bungalows that represent the architectural range found within the Historic Ryan Place Neighborhood. Proceeds from the Tour support Ryan Place neighborhood historic preservation, infrastructure, and fellowship initiatives.
This Year’s Tour
What's old is new again in Ryan Place! This year's 40th Anniversary of the Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place presents five fabulous historical homes and our neighborhood's historic Daggett Elementary all dressed up for the holidays.
In addition to the tour, this year's event will include Santa, a polar express kid's train, musical groups, pop-up shops, and - back this year- Horse drawn carriage rides!
Tickets & Schedule
Tickets for the 2024 Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place can be purchased online now!
Tour Times:
Saturday, December 7, 2024 – 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, December 8, 2024 – 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tour Map
Volunteer Information
You can sign up to be a Volunteer Docent in one of our Tour Homes! No experience is necessary. Signups start October 1, 2024. For any questions about volunteering, please contact Casey Creager at casey@servicecompanyplumbing.com.
Sponsorship Information
It takes more than ticket sales to make the Candlelight Tour a success. We rely on business sponsorships, community partnerships, and neighbor sponsors to pull it all off! We have many opportunities at all levels with benefits like advertising in our tour brochure, signage on tour weekend, and social media advertising. If you are interested in supporting the Tour with a financial sponsorship or in-kind donation, please contact Jen O’Connell or follow the link below.
Jen O’Connell: jennifer.a.oconnell@gmail.com or 757-593-0330
History
Read more about the CCRP Historical Background...
The annual Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place (CCRP), also known as the Candlelight Christmas Tour, promotes the annual historic preservation fundraiser of Ryan Place. The Tour takes place every year during the first weekend in December and offers a mix of homes from mansions to bungalows that represent the architectural range found within the Historic Ryan Place Neighborhood.
FAQ’s
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Homes will be available for touring on the following dates/times:
Saturday, December 7th from 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, December 8th from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
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The interiors of 5 historic homes will be available on the tour this year. In addition, St. John’s Anglican Church and Ryan Place’s historic EM Daggett Elementary School will be available for touring.
In honor of the 40th anniversary, the 2024 tour will also offer 40 VIP tickets that will include access to three additional tour homes.
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Tickets will be available for purchase at a discounted early bird rate of $25 between October 1, 2024 and November 29th, 2024, online at www.ryanplacefortworth.com or in-person at Old Home Supply at 1801 College Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76110.
Tickets will be available for purchase at the General Admission rate of $30 starting November 30th, 2024, at www.ryanplacefortworth.com or in-person at the ticket booth during tour weekend at St. John’s Anglican Church at 2401 College Avenue.
VIP tickets are limited to 40, and they will be available for purchase online only from October 1 until they are sold out.
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On tour weekend, the ticket booth closes an hour prior to when the actual tour homes close. For example, on Saturday evening, the ticket booth will be open from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM. The homes close for touring at 9:00 PM. Therefore, if you arrive at the ticket booth at 8:30 PM, you will not be able to receive your admission bracelet. It works the same on Sunday. To tour on Sunday, you will need to pick up your admission bracelet from the ticket booth no later than 4:00 PM.
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The wrist bands are good for the entirety of the tour weekend. Therefore, if you want to tour 2 homes on Saturday and 3 homes on Sunday, that is perfectly fine.
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It’s hard to give an exact time because everyone tours at their own pace. However, a good rule of thumb is to spend about a ½ hour per home. The 2024 tour is very walkable as all the homes are within about a 4-block radius. It would be reasonable to allot 2.5 hours for the five homes. Any additional experiences or stops, such as a carriage ride, will prolong your experience. VIP Ticket holders should plan their tour around the VIP experience, as these have specific start and stop times. For a slower paced tour, CCRP recommends the general tour on Saturday and VIP experience on Sunday, or vice versa.
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Kids 12 and under are free when they are accompanied by an adult. We would ask that children remain under the close supervision of their parents while in the homes.
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There is not a designated parking area. Persons attending the tour are permitted to park along the neighborhood streets in Ryan Place where there will be plenty of parking. Parking has never been a problem for tour patrons.
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When you pick up your tour wrist band at the ticket booth, you will be given a tour brochure that includes a tour map. The tour map will include tour homes and other areas or activities of interest. In addition, all the tour homes will have prominent signage indicating their designation as a tour home. The tour is self-guided, and you visit the homes in the order you choose. Once you arrive at a home, you will be greeted by docents who will welcome and direct you through the home.
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There is no shuttle provided to transport tour patrons. The tour is very walkable, which is how most tour patrons travel from house to house. Driving from house to house in a personal vehicle is also an option, and parking is available on the street. Please don’t park in front of any tour homes and be aware of pedestrians as the neighborhood will be filled with hundreds of visitors throughout the weekend.
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Yes, but please know that some homes will require booties to be worn over your shoes while touring the home because it helps to preserve floors and rugs. For homes requiring booties, they will be provided at the home.
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We ask that you respect that these are private family homes. Therefore, we ask for no photography, and if a portion of the home is closed to tour patrons, please be respectful of that.
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Restrooms will be available for tour patrons at St. John’s Anglican Church where the ticket booth is located. Restrooms in individual tours homes will not be available for use.
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Turn off or mute cell phones while in the homes. Please take all calls outside.
No food or drinks may be taken inside the homes.
No smoking is allowed on the property or inside the homes.
Do not open closed drawers, refrigerators, closets, doors, or cabinets.
Do not enter areas that have been closed or blocked off.
No pets allowed.
No large bags or backpacks allowed.
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Yes! Please check the website for additional activities to enjoy during the tour weekend.
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The proceeds from the tour support the operating budget of the Ryan Place Improvement Association (RPIA) and RPIA’s special improvement projects. In the past, tour proceeds have purchased the Ryan Place historic streetlamps and improvements at public parks. The current focus is to rehabilitate the newly named Joan Kline Park in the southern part of the Ryan Place neighborhood.
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Ryan Place is located approximately 5 minutes south of downtown Fort Worth. Between Eighth Avenue and Hemphill Street as the east and west boundaries respectively, and Jessamine and Berry and north and south boundaries respectively, Ryan Place sits just south of Historic Fairmount. Ryan Place is included in a hub of historic communities, which also include Fairmount, Berkley Place and Mistletoe Heights.
From the first 1911 home on the prairie that became Elizabeth Boulevard until now, Ryan Place has been a special part of Fort Worth. John C. Ryan envisioned – and built – the most desirable neighborhood of its time. With George E. Kessler as landscape designer (parkways, terraces, and gates) and Wiley G. Clarkson as the architect for more than 30 homes, by the 1920s Ryan Place was indeed “the most fashionable address in town.” Though homes were built in the 1930s, neighborhood growth then slowed until after World War II when there was a housing boom. By the 1950s, outlying neighborhoods were becoming more popular. In the 1970s, plans were hatched to make 5th and 6th Avenues one-way for faster access to and from downtown Fort Worth. That’s when some bold residents organized around kitchen tables to preserve the character of their neighborhood. Soon, a Candlelight Christmas was born as a means of raising funds for historic purposes. The elegant gates at both ends of Elizabeth Boulevard were rebuilt, and the historic “Fifth Avenue” streetlights have been erected throughout Ryan Place with proceeds from the annual tour. More recently, tour funds have been dedicated to the enhancement of neighborhood parks.
questions?
For any questions about the 2024 tour please contact Casey Creager at casey@servicecompanyplumbing.com or 817-714-0204.