The venerable Ledges Inn in Wiscasset Village has been closed to the public for several years, but during Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest, hospitality returns as the doors open wide for a seasonal Holiday Tea.

On Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can take in the historical surroundings while enjoying a tasty afternoon tea. According to event organizer Michelle Peele, the Inn’s front parlors will be elegantly decorated for the tea with greens, garlands, and candles in the windows. “It will be beautiful and elegant,” Peele  beamed.

As one enters the inn, the formal parlor on the right, formerly the main dining room with a large bay window and fireplace, will be the tearoom. Volunteers from the Wiscasset Congregational Church will be preparing and serving the menu of finger sandwiches, sweet items, and warm beverages. The menu is fixed with a cost of $10 per person, payable at the event.

On Friday live music by the mother-daughter duet of Lisa Truesdell on flute and Julia Truesdell on clarinet will be played from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’ll be followed by keyboardist Terry Heller playing holiday favorites, including requests, from 1- 3 p.m.

On Saturday, in addition to the Holiday Tea, families are invited to stop into The Ledges for visits with Santa and Fritz-the-Reindeer-Dog, who will both be stationed in the formal parlor/dining room to the left of the front hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to Peele, this will be a special place for special family photos, and it’s not necessary to take part in the Holiday Tea to visit with Santa and Fritz.

Meanwhile, in the tea room, diners will enjoy the music of Jonathan Waldo playing classical guitar and oud, accompanied by Heather MacLeod on pennywhistle, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Suki Flanagan on harp, from 1-3 p.m.

All proceeds from the Holiday Tea will be used by the Wiscasset Congregational Church to further its community support programs.

The landmark Ledges Inn was built in 1845 in the Greek Revival style. It features fireplaces, high ceilings, and anaglypta (embossed wallcovering) wainscoting details. Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest is grateful to The Ledges owner, George Freeman, for opening the historically significant building to the community for the Holiday Tea and the Snow Ball on Sunday, Dec. 8, from 7-10 p.m.

For more information about the Holiday Tea, contact Michelle Peele at 910-691-7599 or Sarah Whitfield at sarahmariewhitfield@gmail.com. For more information about Marketfest: www.wiscassetholidaymarketfest.com

Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest is a joint project of Wiscasset Creative Alliance and Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce.

Major Sponsors for Wiscasset Holiday Marketfest are Carl M.P. Larrabee Agency, Carriage House Gardens, First Federal Savings, First National Bank, Midcoast Federal Credit Union, Red’s Eats, Tim Dunham Realty and Wiscasset Ford with additional support from BIRCH, Davison Construction, the Droby-Burns family, and Water St. Kitchen.