MARIETTA — Plans for the crowning event to celebrate Marietta’s 175th birthday were announced at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre Monday night.

The Marietta Gala will be presented at North Park Square on Dec. 4 under a grand tent. The gala’s theme is Living the Charmed Life in the Gem City for 175 years. The black-tie dinner and dance will coincide with the opening night of Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” at the Strand Theatre, said Mary Ansley Southerland, a Board of Trustees member for Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society.

“We’re so proud to be involved in the 175th anniversary celebration. This is the crowning event for the whole year-long festivities,” she said. “We think this is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the city. We could not have a better place to live, raise our children and be with our friends. It all fits so nicely together that we’re able to share the holiday season and celebrate the city’s birthday.”

Proceeds from the gala go to Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society and the Marietta Welcome Center. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased through the Marietta Welcome Center.

The Marietta Gala’s logo was also unveiled last night, which features Cinderella’s glass carriage. A similar glass carriage is expected to be parked on the Square the evening of the gala.

Also on the evening of the gala, guests will be able to view three candlelit homes that will be on the 23rd annual Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour.

The annual home tour, which attracts around 5,000 people to the city, will take place Dec. 5 and 6, said Theresa Jenkins, executive director of the Marietta Welcome Center and Visitors Bureau.

The Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour will spotlight six private homes and several public buildings in the Church Street and Cherokee Street Historic District. Over the last 20 years, the tour of homes has brought in more than $8 million to the Marietta community, Jenkins said.

Long time Marietta resident Perk Lawrence, 89, was at the Monday night unveiling. She said she lives 400 yards from where she was born and has no intention of leaving Marietta.

“Marietta is the place for me. Of all the places in the whole wide world, I would rather be here than anywhere. There’s something wonderful to do every minute of the time. All of my children live here, so it couldn’t be a better spot,” she said. “I love where I live, my neighbors and everything about here.”

For more information on the Marietta Gala or the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour, go to www.mariettasquare.com.