The Strasburg Heritage Society will host its yearly Holiday Home Tour on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour will include several historic homes in downtown Strasburg and the adjacent area, and local Girl Scouts and vendors will sell lunch and crafts in the fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church, 101 S. Decatur St., Strasburg. A prize drawing will also be held in the fellowship hall, and the heritage society will sell Christmas decorations.

Many of the homes included in the tour date back to the 18th century and are privately owned. The owners will open their historic homes, which will be fully decorated for the holiday season. The majority of the homes are in the same vicinity on East Main Street in downtown Strasburg, making the tour mostly walkable. One exception will be a home just outside of Strasburg that was built by Jacob Lefever in 1799. The property itself can be traced back to William Penn, and some of Lefever's descendants, the Sangrey family, now own the property.

Included in the tour will also be a barn that was constructed in 1806 and now serves as an art studio and gallery for Glenn Eshelman. During the tour, Eshelman will display many of his own paintings depicting biblical themes and his early childhood days growing up on a farm. The barn will also have a display of information and equipment from Sight & Sound Theatre's early days.

The Holiday Home Tour is one of the heritage society's largest fundraisers and has been held for the last 11 years, with the exception of a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees often travel from out of state to participate in the tour, and many local families take the tour each year to kick off their holiday season and even garner ideas for how to decorate their own homes.

"I love meeting all of the people that take the tour," said Lorna Mentzner, a member of the Strasburg Heritage Society. "It's such a nice community event, and it's always wonderful to see people out and about enjoying themselves."

Each year, Mentzner goes out into the community to recruit homeowners for the tour. Although some homeowners in Strasburg prefer to keep their residencies private, many locals who take the tour often open their own houses up the following year. "We're so fortunate here in Strasburg that people are so gracious and open their homes, as well as make sure that their homes are fully decorated in time," said Mentzner.

To purchase tickets prior to the tour, stop by Speckled Hen Coffee, 141 E. Main St., Strasburg, or Main Street Antiques, 2 W. Main St., Strasburg or visit https://strasburgheritagesociety.org. Tickets may be purchased at First Presbyterian Church on the day of the event.