NEWPORT — The annual Victorian Christmas Tour through Newport's historic East Row neighborhood has grown into a regional attraction.

        This year's 11th renewal Dec. 1-2 offers a glimpse into new aspects of the city's past.

IF YOU GO

Tickets for the Victorian Christmas Tour are $10 and can be purchased at the George Wiedemann Jr. Mansion, 401 Park Ave., Newport, during tour hours.     Children under 12 are admitted free. Proceeds go to Echo, the soup kitchen at Henry Hosea House in Newport; the American Red Cross disaster relief fund; and community projects sponsored by the East Row Historic Foundation.

        Seven renovated historic homes, decorated for the holiday season, will be open to the public from 1-7 p.m. each day.

        One of those homes, at Ninth and Washington, was once a boarding house and restaurant known as Vendome, and became a part of Newport's colorful show business and gambling history.

        Fifth Third Bank executive Roger Weddle and his wife, Donna, purchased the 6,500-square-foot Italianate structure, built in 1872, more than three years ago. They have been renovating and restoring it.

        “Since we bought the house, a number of people have told us stories about the place,” Mr. Weddle said.

        “It was converted to a boarding house and restaurant in the early 1900s, and eventually was a favorite stop for entertainers. Frank Sinatra and Al Jolson apparently were regular visitors.”

        The three-story brick structure earned the nickname “Beverly Hills Barracks,” for housing performers who worked at the Beverly Hills Supper Club before it was destroyed by fire.

        The house now has two corporate suites in the rear which the Weddles rent out.

        Tour visitors will see the family's living quarters, including a formal sitting room and dining room with all the woodwork and ornate plasterwork restored.

        Another addition to the Christmas tour this year is an open house at Southgate Street School, the first African-American school in Kentucky funded by the General Assembly through the Freedmen's Bureau after the Civil War.

        The brick structure, built before the Civil War and opened as a school for African-American students in 1873, is being renovated and restored by the Southgate Street School Alumni Association.

        Association members hope to link the school with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.

        Other highlights of the tour:

        • Luminaria lighting of Newport.

        Sponsored by Brighton Center and the Newport Business Association, luminarias will line Monmouth and other streets in the city Sunday evening.

        • A Christmas store showcasing local artwork, antiques, crafts, jewelry and ornaments at the George Wiedemann Jr. Mansion at 401 Park Ave.

        • A Liturgical Arts Festival at St. John's United Church of Christ, 415 Park Ave., featuring holiday music concerts and work by local artists.

        • Free horse-drawn carriage rides through the historic district from 2-5 p.m. that weekend.

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