Last year, my team and I tracked and interviewed countless murder suspects, got the dirt on wealthy families that shaped Erie history and had a rip-roaring good time at the Watson-Curtze Mansion.

I felt like I was at Downton Abbey. And you can too!

It’s a real life game of Clue where actors portray the suspects — and they are stationed in various rooms of the four-story mansion and neighboring Planetarium. Everyone has a story, but you can’t always believe it — because one of them is a murderer!

Is it the doctor? The gardener? The lawyer? The spurned ex-wife? The mistress? The nanny? The long lost son or the guy who pretended to be the long lost son? Clues, clues — you must find all the clues! 

Join us — dress in your best 1920s fashions, enjoy the cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and desserts. And find the murderer!

Saturday, June 15 at  6 p.m. The after party begins at 8 p.m.

Teams of six can register for $250 before May 24. After, teams are $300. The Erie County Historical Society will match individuals and couples with a group if you do not have a team.

If you can’t make the game … join the Roaring 20s themed after party at the mansion. Tickets sold separately at only $20.

Hurry — this event sells out every year! Call 814-454-1813 x24

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three and stepmom of three.

I won’t spoil anything that happens on Downton Abbey, but the grand finale episode in February will be cause for a party and a fun night in Erie’s historic abbey. Well not really — it’s the Watson Curtze mansion on West Sixth Street — but it is historic.

On Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, patrons at Watson Curtze will dine on a British-themed menu. Dinner will be followed by a live viewing of the season finale (which airs Feb. 17 on PBS) in the mansion’s planetarium.

Dinner will be held at 7:15 p.m. with the show airing from 9 -10 p.m.

Black or white tie are encouraged.

Chef Marc Berarducci will prepare a menu that includes roasted butternut squash salads with warm cider vinaigrette, cottage pie, English roast and lemon curd tart. Cost is $75 per person including wine with dinner. RSVP deadline is Friday, Feb. 8.

RSVP to: Caleb Pifer 454-1813 x25 or cpifer@eriecountyhistory.org

Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey airs Sunday evenings on WQLN. You can catch up on all the episodes on PBS here.

Shirley MacLaine joined the show this season. The history, the fashions, the cars and the fans are incredible, and so is the award-winning writing.

I interviewed Mrs. Patmore — actress Lesley Nicol — by phone about a month ago for our January issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle – here’s the link to that interview.

The comments on Twitter can be found at #Downton.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one.