Dolly HollyDay Tour of lights tickets still on sale

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is ready to board passengers for the 17th annual Dolly HollyDay Tour that begins next week, FSACC officials said.

Tickets for the annual tour, which takes guests on an evening tour of homes in the area decorated for the holidays, are now available, FSACC Tourism Director Christian Lutz said.

The tours will take place starting at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each evening beginning on Dec. 11, and continuing through Dec. 22, Lutz said. There will be no tours on the evening of Dec. 17, he said.

Lutz said he began taking reservations for the popular tours last month. The Dolly HollyDay tours are a great way to show off what Fort Scott has to offer tourists during the holiday season, he said.

"I would encourage it (taking the tour), because it has become a tradition here in Fort Scott, and it's a great way to see how the Christmas season is celebrated in our community," he said.

Tour goers will be able to view Christmas lighting displays entered in the Light Up Fort Scott holiday lighting contest. Passengers will have the opportunity to vote on the winners of that contest in each of three categories: traditional, neighborhood and religious. The chamber received seven entries for the Light Up Fort Scott contest, and there will be six homes and one neighborhood featured on the tour, Lutz said.

The trolley accommodates about 22 passengers for each tour, which typically last about an hour. Reservations for the tours are required, Lutz said. Guests will board at the Visitor Information Center, 231 E. Wall St.

Individual tickets cost $5, but a special rate is available for groups of 20 or more people. Those tickets cost $4 each, Lutz said. The group rate allows various clubs, organizations and churches to take advantage of special discounts for the tours, he said.