PRINCESS CHOSEN FOR THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

The Cornstalk Heights Historical Community Organization holds its 21st annual "Historic Harriman Christmas Tour" this coming Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 10-11).  For the 14th consecutive year, the group will make available a commemorative Christmas ornament, and this year the ornament features the Princess Theatre!  The shiny orb will be available for $18.50 at the stop #5 on the tour, the "Hospitality House".

Diana Knobloch (center) stopped by the Princess volunteer meeting earlier this afternoon to give me my ornament early; so I could photograph it and show everyone.  Isn't it pretty!?

The collector ornament is deep blue with gold lettering, with an image of the Princess created from an original 1939 photo.  This piece will long be remembered as the ornament that was issued at the end of the restoration.

Remember too, that the Princess is part of the tour this year, and "Historic Harriman Christmas Tour" ticket holders will be given a sneak peek at the theatre. 

Ticket holding visitors at stop #10 on the tour, will be greeted at the old Margrave Drug entrance, shown the new concessions area, complete with a Christmas Tree, the old concessions area, then ushered through one door of the auditorium, down the aisle and around in front of the stage, back up the opposite aisle, and back into the old lobby, and then offered Ruby Tuesday catered refreshments in the west lobby where Dr. Zuckerman once had his optometry office.  

There will be a display of "before and after" photos in this area, and you will be amazed at the transition our Princess has made.  Visitors may then leave through this lobby door.  The main, old entrance, doors will be locked.  The only way in is through the "Margrave" entrance (east side of the Princess), and the only way out is through the "Zuckerman" (west side of the Princess) door.

The restrooms will NOT be open, and no one will be allowed in any other section of the theatre on this tour.  The theatre is still under construction so it would be dangerous to venture off the allotted path through the theatre, plus you might get paint on your clothes!  The tour should take one between 10 and 15 minutes.

Doors to the homes and the theatre open at 12PM on Saturday and 1PM on Sunday.  Doors close at 6PM on both days.

Tickets are available for purchase now at the following Harriman locations:

Harriman's Carnegie Library, 601 Walden St.
Rocky Top General Store, 316 Ruritan Rd.
Red Door Antiquities, 505 N. Roane St.

Tickets can be purchased the day of the tour at the following locations:

Temperance Building, 330 Roane Street

Volunteers met this afternoon with Megan Anderson to prepare for the tour, and got their first look inside since the seats and carpet had been installed.  They were thrilled at what they saw for the first time.

Jean Penley sat in one of the new sets and told Bill Milburn about getting kicked out of the Princess back around 1957 for dancing in the aisle during a "sock hop" movie.  She plans on dancing in the aisle again some 54 years later when the Princess officially opens!