Take a Bite Out of Christmas Tours Return
Press Release Submitted by Cindy Hodel
“Take a Bite Out of Christmas” began three years ago as a Friday night addition to the Christmas in Montrose weekend. The thought behind it was to provide something for adults only, since the weekend in general is focused on children and families.
In a past tour, a group of twenty-five adults boarded a hay wagon which took the participants on a designated route stopping at historic houses along the way. At each house the owners gave a brief history of the house and then served a small snack before the group moved on to the next house. Each year the planning committee strives to make improvements to the tours by listening to suggestions from you, the public. This will be an experience that you will talk about and remember for years to come!
New historic houses have been added to this year’s tours on Friday, December 4th, 2026!
Depending on which tour you choose, you will experience a different mode of transportation as well as learning a piece of the rich history of Montrose at each stop. Those participants lucky enough to get tickets for one of the tours are encouraged to dress in their most festive holiday attire or period costume for their journey. This is a rain or snow event, and participants should dress warmly and appropriately for the weather.
As you travel from one spot to another, you will have the opportunity to not only experience charming homes, historic buildings, and beautiful churches but also view homes and businesses decorated for the holidays, some of which are a part of the “Light Up Montrose” decorating contest. Snacks and a light fare will be served along the way on each of the tours.
ALL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH TOURS ARE ADULTS ONLY – MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OF AGE
Tour #1 “Vintage Christmas Tour”
Participants will check in at 4:45 where they will be picked up to start the tour promptly at 5:00 PM. Participants will board a hay wagon and travel to different homes while hearing stories and making merry along the way. The tour will include the Pink Arrow Art Gallery, the beautiful Community Foundation, an undertaker’s barn and1816 house, and the home of The Center for Antislavery Studies (CASS).
Tour #2 “Classic Christmas Tour”
Participants will check in at 4:45 and be picked up to start the tour promptly at 5:00 PM. Participants will board a hay wagon and travel to different locations while hearing stories and making merry along the way. Included in this tour will be four new historic locations, not visited on any tours since its inception.
Tour #3 “The Silver Bells Historic Church Tour”
The tour begins at 5 PM at the Montrose Bible Conference where parking is available. Participants will hop on the warm “Church Bus” and experience church in a new way. Get ready for tales of moonshine making, forgery, murder investigations, and a fight over slavery that tore the town apart decades before the Civil War. A variety of hosts will walk participants through the history of the buildings, their parishioners, and rich beginnings. Some of the churches included are the AME Zion, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian as well as radio station WPEL.
More details and directions for parking will be provided via email once you have purchased a ticket. Sorry – no refunds given.
All the participants can bring a blanket and should dress warmly and appropriately for the weather. At the end of all three tours, participants are invited to the beautifully restored “Relic” on Church Street for holiday drinks and desserts in a festive atmosphere.
Don’t be one of those disappointed individuals because you didn’t get their tickets soon enough. You must be 21 years old for the ticket-only Friday night tours on December 4th.
Tickets for tours #1 and #2 are $50.00 each and tickets for the church tour are $40.00.
Tickets are required for visitors who will be welcomed by the homeowners and given some historical facts about their site.
Purchase tickets here.
A very popular part of the weekend celebration for adults only is the “Take A Bite Out of Christmas” tours on Friday evening, December 4th. Three Friday night tours will be one of the many Christmas in Montrose holiday events . Pictured are some of the historic homes which will be a part of the tours. Tickets can be purchased here for each of the tours.
Light Up Montrose Contest
A very popular part of Christmas in Montrose will once again be the Holiday Light Decorating Contest. The contest is open to all businesses and residential homes within greater Montrose. Participants must register no later than November 13th, 2026. Decorations should reflect a holiday theme with bonus points given to participants which match the Christmas in Montrose theme for 2026, “Vintage Country Christmas.”
All decorations must be up and operational from November 30, 2026, through December 8th, 2026, which includes the Christmas in Montrose Festival, the first weekend in December. Judging will occur during this time as well. The judging criteria will include points for decorations which embrace:
- the Christmas spirit;
- originality and unique ideas for creativity;
- visual impact, including color, lights and overall design;
- craftsmanship and apparent time and effort put into the decorations;
- how well the decoration reflects the Christmas in Montrose 2026 theme, “Vintage Country Christmas.”
Winners will be announced on Saturday, December 6th on The Green in Montrose. The residential winner will receive $1,000.00 cash for first-place and $250.00 for the runner-up. In the business category, the first-place winner will receive $500.00 cash and $250.00 for the runner-up.
Now is your opportunity to make Montrose sparkle with the Christmas spirit by Lighting Up Montrose for this year’s annual festival. The hope by offering this contest as a part of the small town, big heart “Hallmark” holiday celebration is to encourage community members as well as visitors to visit the local businesses and explore the town. The decorating contest will complement the Christmas in Montrose celebration event the first weekend on December 4, 5 and 6. For more details about the contest as well as all the other holiday events which the celebration offers, go to the website or check out Facebook.
Pictured is one of the 2025 residential winners of the Light Up Montrose Christmas contest. Now is the opportunity to put your creativity and originality to work to decorate your business or residence to win the 2026 monetary prize for your efforts. Extra points in judging will be given to decorations which reflect this year’s theme “Vintage Country Christmas.”
Details are available on the Christmas in Montrose website and Facebook.
The deadline for registration is November 13th, 2026.