The weekend before my birthday kicked off the Christmas season for me.  Mark and I went to a Black Tie Gala in conjunction with the Marietta Pilgrimage tour (I’ll be sharing my formal dress that I wore tomorrow!), which celebrated its 30th year this year. I haven’t always gone to the Christmas tour of homes, but have been going for several years now.  Driving around the streets of Old Marietta always brings us joy as we look at these older historical houses and wonder what they look like inside.  Since going on these tours, we can now drive by and say, yep, we’ve been in that one.  Many of  them have opened their doors for the public to come in and it’s always a fun highlight of the Christmas season.
Today, I thought I’d share a few photos of the day. Â Only one house allowed any pics inside, so I hope they don’t mind me sharing a few with you and I also took some outside and on the Marietta Square. Â We did 3 house tours in the Candlelight tour and that’s always fun to see, houses lit up from the outside and then all warm and cozy inside decorated for the season.
I snapped a few outside pics as we walked these historic sidewalks. Â This wasn’t one we toured, but I loved this double gate with wreaths.
The first house we stopped at was really pretty and they allowed photos so I took a few inside and outside.
It’s a Craftsman style home and the inside had a Mission feel with the furnishings and architecture.
Loved this old Coca-Cola machine and Santa Claus.
Cute hand towel in the kitchen!  Of course he stops in GA first, didn’t you all know that?  🙂
These life size nutcrackers and old truck were perfect for decorating for Christmas.
The leaves were still on the trees earlier this month and this one was stunning. Â This was a really neat wood workshop of the owner.
Their outdoor spaces were so nice and spacious.
Across the street from the house, the family owns this little strip of property and turned it into a neighborhood park. Â I loved this idea!
I couldn’t help but get into my inner child with a swing on the hanging swing, one of my favorite things to do as a little girl.
The rest of the pics I snapped were various houses on the tour and in the surrounding neighbor hood.
There’s so much history and pretty homes to see in the Marietta Square surrounding streets and I love to get a peek at them up close.
This house wasn’t on the tour, but I sure loved how charming it is and the curb appeal with all that stonework.
Another popular thing at Christmas are the hanging lighted orbs on Maple Avenue that have really taken off the last few years. Â Homeowners all along this stretch put these lighted orbs high up into the trees, they shoot them up there somehow and wow, is it gorgeous. Â Many are white lights but a lot are colored lights and it is so magical driving through here at night.
We saw someone selling these chicken wire orbs out of their car trunk, so I’m wondering if all of the ones we see in the trees are made out of chicken wire. Â They are fashioned into round circles and covered in white lights. Â These were hanging on the porch in our last candlelight tour home.
Aren’t they beautiful?  You can see a peek across the street at more hanging high  in the tree limbs.  They are so gorgeous!  I’m guessing these wouldn’t be hard to make and they sure do make a statement.
The Marietta Square itself is always decorated so festively for Christmas and we love walking through here during the month of December and beyond. Â White lights on the trees add so much to the square.
The gazebo is all decorated too, lit up for Christmas. The Square has installed a small ice skating rink for the youngsters for the second year, which I’m sure is a treat.
You can even visit Santa with the kids during the month. Â See him in there!?
I love our Marietta town square and how they decorate and celebrate Christmas. It feels so old fashioned and quaint.
We’ve been out there a couple of times during the month, in rain and better weather.
The last time Mark and I were there, we ran into St. Nick himself and we had to take a photo with him. Â Isn’t that fun? Â Santa Claus makes us all feel like children again!
I hope you enjoyed this tour of our Marietta Square and how pretty it is at Christmas!  I love sharing my hometown with you and love that I grew up in this atmosphere.  It sure made for a memorable childhood.  And it’s even way more improved than when I was a kid, they’ve done a great job with the historic element of the town Square.  Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you are enjoying your week!
Lovely! THanks for sharing.
Rhoda,
Thanks for sharing your beautiful Christmas tour pics! I love going on house tours this time of year and seeing all the wonderful inspiration in every house. I adore cottage/craftsman style houses so this tour was right up my alley. How great was that outdoor kitchen with Chef Santa at the reign.
Best wishes to you and your family for a Blessed Christmas and wonderful New Year!
THOSE HOUSES WERE NOT IMPRESSIVE (YOURS IS MUCH MORE SO BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS)..THE LIGHTED TREES IN THE SQUARE WAS PRETTY..MAYBE DECORATIONS DON’T LOOK AS NICE WITHOUT SNOW; WE SEE THIS AS WELL UP NORTH WHEN IT’S A MILD CHRISTMAS~~ JUST NOT AS PRETTY
Thanks for a beautiful tour. The chicken wire orbs are intriguing. I know you will find a way to make these and will post the instructions for us next fall so we can all have them ready in time to hang them in our Christmas decorations. Merry Christmas to you and Mark, your parents, sister and her family.
Loved the house tour! I especially loved the old truck with the huge ornaments in the back. I have seen these lighted orbs in trees and always wondered how they do that! Thanks for sharing a slice of Christmas in the south.
Rhoda, there’s a YouTube video on how to make the orbs–there was an article about it in the last Cobb Life magazine and I’ve seen it on several Facebook posts (I’ll look for it). They shoot them up in the trees with a homemade potato gun.
https://issuu.com/mdjonline/docs/cobb_life_dec_2016
Sorry, can’t find an online link to the story, you have to page through the magazine.
Thanks, Kim for sharing, I think it’s such a fun tradition!
Fabulous Thank you for this slice of life of the South and letting those north of the Mason Dixon line know more about us.
My son made the orbs 2 years ago and they add Christmas cheer to passerbys hanging in the trees at his historic.Yes it begins with Chix wire but don’t know any more.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you and yours and may you have a wonderful New Year!
Thanks Rhoda….great pictures again today. Loved seeing all the houses and yards and beautiful lights. Really loved that HUGE tree in your square! A Blessed Christmas to you and all your family and your beau too. Love your blog.
I loved all the Christmas decorations, but I think my favorite thing was the state post card pillows.
I love this post! Your hometown looks so pretty and festive. You look so happy – have a Merry Christmas!
When I was a little girl, we always drove through the square area on the way to my grandmother’s house. I always loved seeing how it was decorated during the holidays and we would make my dad drive all the way around the square to see everything. I do remember for several years, they had quit decorating (maybe during the 70’s or 80’s). I’m glad to see it looking so festive again.
Hi…first time commenting…the first 9 years we were married, we lived in Kennesaw and Marietta. The first time my son (now 14) saw Santa was at Marietta Square. It was freezing cold that day! I was in the JLCM and was a docent on the Christmas tour…and it was almost 80 that day! December can be so peculiar in the South. Also, I had a space in one of the stores on the square…Victoria’s Garden…I don’t know if it is there anymore. Love the history and the charm of Old Marietta. Thank you for the memories!
Hi, Donna, I’m so glad this brought back memories for you. This area is really a nice place to grow up.
What a nostalgic tour! I was born a couple blocks off the Marietta square in 1934 and in 1940 we had to move because of a housing development buying everyone on Waddell St out. My Dad built us a nice home a mile from town on Lawrence St. BTW the actress, JoAnn Woodward lived on that street as a child!
My Dad owned ‘Richardson and Son’s’ Bicycle Shop just off the square (Mill St.and later Powder Springs St.) for about 30yrs. Some of my favorite memories of the late 30s and 40s was Christmastime on the square!
The bicycle shop stayed open late on Christmas Eve – my Dad and brother stayed until Santa picked up all the bicycles, tricycles and wagons for the children of Marietta. I remember when my Mom, sister in law and I joined them for supper around the pot bellied stove in the back of the shop. Usually supper was fried chicken, potato salad and sweet potato pie fresh from home! … and always a large percolator of coffee gurgling on top of the stove!
It would be dark before we left the shop. I delighted in looking out the door or from the sidewalk at the beautiful lights and decorations on the square. The street outside would be almost free of traffic and people. Christmas music often was heard in the distance
This was a magical time that I loved so much! My husband (from Ohio) and I – our 3 kids, 9 grandkids (most with spouses) and 9 great grandkids all still live in the area and love being southerners!
Wanted to share with you! ?
HI, Mary, thank you so much for sharing your memories of our beloved Marietta Square. I loved hearing how it was back then and to see all the changes that have happened throughout the years. It seems to me that it’s better than ever now with so many fun things going on out there. Definitely a great place to be raised!