No Candlelight Tour of Homes this year

SANDUSKY — Sandusky's Old House Guild has called off the Candlelight Tour of Homes this year but signaled how the popular holiday tradition will return in 2025. "The Old House Guild of Sandusky has announced that it will suspend the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes for the coming holiday season," according to an announcement released earlier this week. But why? "The guild's board of directors decided to take a one-year absence to examine new features and opportunities with the tour," it read. "We realize how valued this event is to the community and ask for your understanding concerning our decision. That tour shall return to 2025." Seeking to learn more, the Register reached out to Ed Stout, a member of the guild's board of directors, the chairman of the Candlelight Tour and the guild member who handles publicity for the annual tour. Stout declined to comment and referred the Register to his organization's statement. The Register also sent an email to Dr. Richard Keller, the Sandusky physician listed as the president of the guild's board of directors in the group's most recent newsletter, posted on the organization's website. The newspaper didn't get a response by press time. While the group has a Facebook page, it hasn't published a new posting since November of 2023. The Candlelight Tour of Homes has been an annual Christmas event each December since 1980, although the tour was called off for a couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's tour had 10 locations, mostly private homes, although it also included stops at the Cooke-Dorn House, a state museum run by the guild, and Follett House, another local museum which is owned by Sandusky Library. Those two stops are always included. Cooke-Dorn is closed for the winter. The guild's summer newsletter describes extensive renovations being carried out at the Cooke-Dorn House, including landscaping to renovate the gardens and restoration of its 1894 Steinway grand piano. The Follett House is run by Jeremy Angstadt, museum services director for Sandusky Library. Angstadt said he had not heard the Candlelight Tour had been called off. He said his last discussion with the Old House Guild was back in August. Meanwhile, Angstadt said all of Follett House's other traditional Christmas activities will go forward. The house will be decorated inside for Christmas, and the annual Follett House open house will take place from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving. In addition, there will be an open house from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 30, a Saturday. In addition, at a minimum, Follett House will be open during its usual December hours, 1-4 p.m. every Saturday, so people can come in then, too, to enjoy the Christmas decorations, Angstadt said. The Old House Guild was founded in 1978. It's recognized as a nonprofit by the IRS. Because the group has annual receipts of less than $50,000, it's only required to file a postcard-sized form with the IRS which reveals little information about it other than its mailing address and website.