From Woodstown to Cape May, holiday house tours are popping up all over South Jersey.
Most people decorate for the holidays with a tree and lights and red and green splashes everywhere.
But when you're opening your house to several hundred guests, you start planning for it during the summer.
This holiday season, Patty Grenier and her husband Fran will open their home for the Woodstown by Candlelight house tour for the fourth time.
"In the past, we participated every other year with a cluster of neighbors," Grenier said. "It's too much to do every year and more people come through when there are several homes open close by."
The tour committee begins organizing the event in August, and Grenier begins preparing her home for display in early November.
"Last weekend, I put up my largest tree and bought replacement lights for all the window candles," she said. "Hopefully, this weekend we will get the outside lights up and another tree finished. Then it's just doing a little bit every day."
Grenier said she will have a total of four Christmas trees in her home by the time the tour rolls around.
"I usually put our largest tree in the living room, a smaller tree in the family room, and a small, live, tree in the dining room," she said. "This year, we're hosting some puppies from our Seeing Eye puppy club, so I'll put up a tree in our sunroom, too."
Because the dogs also love the holidays.
"Our whole first floor is open to walk through -- foyer, living room, family room, sunroom, dining room, kitchen, and bath," Grenier said. "Many people ask why the upstairs isn't open. That's where we hide all the clutter."
Getting her house ready for the Woodstown by Candlelight house tour "really is a lot of work," she said.
"Especially working full time. But I love to do it and the reward is my home is completely decorated and clean so December is more relaxed," she said.
And opening her doors to the tourists is like hosting a big holiday get-together.
"Truthfully, I consider them guests rather than strangers," she said. "Sometimes it's more like a reunion with seeing high school classmates and old friends and neighbors."
This year's Woodstown by Candlelight is from 6 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 4, and will feature 13 homes, a craft fair, and many special musical events including the Woodstown High School concert choir, the Men's Chorus of Morningstar Baptist Church, and Recycled Brass Tuba Quartet.
The craft fair will be at the Woodstown Borough Hall on West Avenue from 4 to 10 p.m.
Exhibitors include Mary Crevino of Sweet Mary's Chocolates, Leighton's Country Shop, and Lilla Rose Hair Clips.
Tickets are $15 or $12 in advance for adults, $6 for students from kindergarten to grade 12, and children 5 and younger are free.
For more information, visit www.woodstownbycandlelight.org.
Be sure to visit these other holiday house tours being held across South Jersey.
Salem County
2015 Salem Yuletide Tour
On Dec. 5, Salem City kicks off the holidays with the annual Yuletide Tour beginning with the Magic of Christmas Parade at 11 a.m.
The Yuletide House Tour is from 1 to 6 p.m. and will feature 10 privately owned historic homes, and 10 other locations including churches.
Guests can browse for antiques and collectibles in the town's various shops.
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The tree lighting ceremony is at 6:30 p.m. and will conclude the evening.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the tour and can be purchased at Royal Port Antiques, Market Street Treasures, The Little Shop in the Middle, Java Dog Coffee & Tea Shoppe, and Cawman's Antique Mall, all in Salem.
For more information, call 856-339-0400 or visit salemcitynj.com.
Cumberland County
Historic Bridgeton's Holiday House Tour
Explore the east side, the west side and all around the downtown of Bridgeton to see historic homes decked out in holiday decor.
The tour will include 20 homes, horse-drawn carriage rides, and Victorian caroling by the Original Off Broad Street Players.
For more information about this year's event, call 856-453-8130 or visit www.getbridgeton.com.
Hometown Christmas in Greenwich Holiday House Tour
The Cumberland County HIstorical Society presents the Greenwich holiday house tour on Dec 13 from noon to 5 p.m.
Guests will tour through the town's historic homes and buildings decorated in their Christmas finery.
Children can visit Santa in his new workshop and drop their letters to be sent to the North Pole.
Gingerbread creations will be on display, author Joan Berkey will be signing and selling her book, "Early Wood Architecture of Cumberland County, New Jersey," and all museums will be open during the event.
Tickets are available on the day of the event at the Doctor's Office and the Morris Goodwin School, both on Ye Greate Street, and are $15 per person and children 12 and younger are free.
For more information, visit www.cchistsoc.org/events.html.
Gloucester County
Historic Mullica Hill Christmas House Tour
The Historic Mullica Hill Christmas House Tour is Dec. 12 from 2 to 7 p.m.
Churches, buildings and homes dating back to the 1700s will be decorated for the holidays during this year's tour.
There will also be live music, carolers, Civil War strollers, and Santa will be in attendance.
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Guests can listen to a reading of Charles Dicken's, "A Christmas Carol," at Old Town Hall and there will be specials and refreshments at many businesses along the route.
Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the event.
For more information, call 856-223-5440 or visit www.mullicahill.com.
WedgWood Women's Club's 28th annual Christmas House Tour of Washington Township
This year's house tour is on Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 5 to 9:30 p.m., and will feature five homes, Duffields Farm Market, Mrs. Claus' Workshop, and St. Charles Borromeo Church.
There will be a buffet luncheon at WedgWood Country Club from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $15.
Tickets are $15 and are available at various locations in Washington Township.
For more information, visit www.wedgwoodwomensclub.com or call 856-227-5426.
Camden County
Haddon Township Holiday House Tour
The 19th annual Holiday House Tour is Dec. 4 from noon to 9 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for senior citizens in advance, and $20 on the day of the event.
For more information, call 609-792-3276 or visit www.haddontwp.com.
Cape May County
Christmas Candlelight House Tours
Cape May will host Christmas Candlelight House Tours on Dec. 5, 12, and 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring different locations each night.
Historic homes, inns, hotels and churches including Angel of the Sea, The Queen Victoria B&B, and Cape May United Methodist Church will be included in the tours.
The tours are self-guided and also include Christmas caroling, strolling musicians, and admission to Emlen Physick Estate.
Tickets are $28 for adults and $20 for children from 3 to 12.
For more information, call 609-884-5404 or visit www.capemaymac.org.
Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.