Candlelight tour recreates ball that celebrated palace's completion

Candles shone from the windows of Tryon Palace on Saturday, and fire baskets and candle globes lined the pathways of the grounds so that hundreds of visitors could celebrate the holidays in 18th century style after dark.

The palace held the first of its two Candlelight Tours this weekend to re-enact the ball thrown by Gov. William Tryon in 1770 upon the completion of the original building in the former colonial capital.

The event was expected to draw about 1,000 people, said Nancy Hawley, the palace’s marketing and communications manager. The evening featured tours, fireworks, music, sword-swallowing, cookies and hot apple cider.

 “Tonight, please enjoy the lights, the food and the dancing,” said Malcolm McIsaac, one of the governor’s man servants who was played by Bill Rodebaugh, as he spoke to one of the first groups of guests who toured the palace by the soft glow of candlelight.

The tourists moved through the library to the council chambers, where they were invited to dance with gentlemen dressed in fine clothes, and ladies who fanned themselves and were dressed in scarlet, blue and gold ball gowns.

Anastasia Stephens of Maple Hill was one of the members of the tour who was invited to dance the “hole-in-the-wall” dance to the live music played by the Craven Consort musicians.

“It was really simple, but fun,” she said.

The group moved on to the parlor, where a woman playing the governor’s wife, Margaret Wake Tryon, was seated wearing a green dress with feathers in her dark hair. She invited the group to enjoy a “bit of entertainment” — a duet sang by two women accompanied by a harp.

They then moved on to the dining room, down into the cellar, out the door, and onto the grounds, where they could eat cookies and drink cider, or enjoy other entertainment.

Hawley said that while the wealthy citizens of New Bern would have been invited inside the palace for the ball, the other residents would have been invited for entertainment on the grounds.

Inside a well-lit tent, Signora Bella balanced on a tight-rope and juggled fire. Her act was followed by Otto the Sword Swallower, who wrapped up his act by swallowing three swords for the crowd’s “revulsion or approval.”

“Because nothing says Christmas like sword-swallowing,” he said.

Kelly and Tom McMahan of Morehead City saw Signora Bella as their first entertainment for the night. Although they had just arrived, Kelly said she was already having fun.

“The whole atmosphere is great, and the scenery,” she said.

Rick and Nancy Harmon of New Bern and their granddaughter Tapanga Haddoch of Kinston watched a group dance and sing outside the palace gates.

The group, who waved different-colored umbrellas while dressed in festive costumes, were recreating Jonkonnu, which was a celebration by slaves in December when they had brought in the harvest. The leader of the group danced and sang, and then went to collect money from the white master of a house in the re-enactment

“It’s unique to Eastern North Carolina,” Hawley said of Jonkonnu. “We believe the slaves brought it here from the islands and West Africa.”

The Harmons said they have been coming to the palace for the candlelight tours for about seven years. When they first came, their granddaughter was invited to join in the dance.

“That was the best time, when she was out there dancing in the middle of them,” Rick Harmon said.

Laura Oleniacz can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at loleniacz@freedomenc.com.