Details have already been firmed up for April's 2009 Washington- Wilkes Spring Tour of Homes, and organizers say the new three-day format will pack more homes, events, shopping, and spending into the weekend than ever before.

Organizer Louise Maynard said that community consensus was to bring the tour back to the grandeur of previous years, with a full threeday event that would bring business to stores, restaurants, bed-andbreakfast inns, and hotels.

"We took a good hard look at it," she said, "and realized that with gas as expensive as it is, the B&Bs need help, the restaurants need help, the stores downtown need help. So when they asked me to take it this year, I said I'm going to do it 'all out' - a three-day event with activities to bring people back downtown and into the stores, restaurants, and inns."

Special events are planned for each of the three days of the April 3, 4, and 5 event, in addition to the rare opening of columned antebel- lum homes and classic country homeplaces, Maynard said.

Friday evening, April 3, starts with the Bed and Breakfast Candlelight Tour, which swings open the doors of six of Washington's incomparable B&B inns, she said. "We have Wisteria Hall, Lafayette Manor, Holly Court Inn, the Sleighter House, Washington Plantation, and Southern Elegance, all open for the Candlelight Tour."

At the same time, the Fitzpatrick Hotel will be hosting the Champagne and Dessert Soiree, the Farmer's Market will have live music, the Washington Little Theater will be performing, and a "Gone With the Wind" exhibit will open at Retro Cinema and Books.

While shopping with downtown merchants, visitors can register for $500 in Downtown Dollars to be given away Saturday afternoon.

Saturday, the Day Tour will include the unveiling of Travis Reed and Michael Kriethe's magnificent new home on the Tignall Road, and Kiwanis members will chauffeur visitors to view the Tour homes of Carlton and Margaret Norris, Steve and Rachel Arnold, John and Rita Horton, Buzzy and Jo Randall, and Deb de Shazo.

Special events on Saturday include the Woman's Club Luncheon, the drawing for $500 in Downtown Dollars at the Chamber of Commerce at 5 p.m., plus a performance at the Bolton Lunceford Playhouse at 8 p.m.

A new addition will be "Sunday in the Country," which will open to visitors seven restored Danburg country homes, all within walking distance of each other. The special events Sunday include a Flea Market at the Old Danburg School, a classic car show by Memory Lane Cruisers, and tours of a restored c. 1790 home.

Putting the Spring Tour together this early and with such new additions took the efforts of many people, especially when Louise Maynard found herself in the hospital with a broken hip. "I held court in the hospital, and worked on getting houses while I was waiting on my hip surgery," she said. "But everyone in the community stepped in an and everybody has offered to help. This is truly a community effort now, and it's going to be wonderful."

To promote the Tour, Mark Waters has prepared a PowerPoint presentation to give to groups, and Carlton Norris publicized the event at the state Kiwanis convention.

To encourage early reservations, Maynard said that they are offering $50 in gas money for early group ticket purchases of 10 or more.

A color brochure, produced by Wilkes Publishing, is being sent all over the state to visitor information centers and tourist welcome centers.

Information is available at www. TourofHomes.com, by email at wwtourofhomes@gmail.com, or by contacting the Washington- Wilkes Chamber of Commerce at 706-678-2013.