Fourth Ward, Charlotte
704/651-4183
www.fofw.com

COST: $20 pp for all three days

In 1977, residents of the historic Fourth Ward neighborhood began visiting each other’s homes during the holidays to share a meal, sing carols, and admire the festive decorations. The event was opened to the public in 1979 and has evolved into one of Charlotte’s most highly anticipated holiday events.

The homes in Fourth Ward are among the most beautiful and the most historic in all of Charlotte. The tour includes grand Victorian homes as well as modern condominiums. Seven private neighborhood homes are open to the public during the three-day event. The tour also includes First Presbyterian Church and, on Sunday, the McNinch House, an upscale restaurant housed in an 1800s grand Victorian that once served as the home of the mayor of Charlotte, is also on the tour.

The homes are dressed in their holiday best and the entire neighborhood looks like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting (minus the snow). There are even handbell choirs and carolers performing in the streets and horse and carriage rides through the neighborhood.

The tour is hosted by the nonprofit Friends of Fourth Ward, and all of the proceeds from the annual holiday home tour are used for neighborhood projects such as public art, historic preservation, and neighborhood beautification.