If you haven’t taken part in the Cranford Woman’s Club Home for the Holidays House Tour – this is THE YEAR to do so! 2019 is the organization’s 30th Anniversary of this holiday tradition and the homes on the list are sure to impress and delight the crowds!
The Cranford Woman’s Club:
The Cranford Woman’s Club, founded in 1949, is a “volunteer organization richly rooted in the tradition of giving back to the community and its residents. While our common goal is enhancing the quality of life in our community, one of the many benefits is the lifelong friendships we make along the way.” They are known for organizing community favorite events such as Breakfast with the Bunny, Sip & Shop in Downtown Cranford, and the Home for the Holidays House Tour.
I caught up with Marla Sattler – the current President of the Cranford Woman’s Club. She’s been a member of the club for the last seven years and is very excited to be sharing their 30th Anniversary of the tour with everyone! While the current homes on the tour are kept a secret until the guidebooks are handed out on the day of the event – she ensures us that they are sure to please everyone and are the perfect combination of modern and historic!
Home for the Holidays House Tour:
The Cranford Woman’s Club Home for the Holidays House Tour event will take place on Sunday, December 8 from 12:00-4:00pm. The Home for the Holidays House Tour information can be found at 30th Annual Home for the Holidays House Tour site. This event is a self-directed tour featuring four stunning Cranford homes lovingly decorated for the holidays. Attendees will be guided through each home where volunteers will share information on the special details of each one. The club asks that the attendees are twelve years of age and older and that you wear low-heeled shoes. Tickets can be purchased at the above Eventbrite link or as paper tickets at Simply, the Cranford Library, Periwinkles, and Augusta Mae. Additional tickets may be purchased the day of the tour for $30 each at the Crane-Phillips House (124 N Union Ave). The price of $25 is for advance sales only!
Tour Booklets Are On Sale NOW!
The Home for the Holidays House Tour Booklets act as the ticket booklet – it includes a map, an artist rendering of the home, and a “teaser bio” of each house. These booklets are available for advance pickup/trade in on Thursday, December 5 from 6pm-9pm and Saturday, December 7 from 10am-1pm at the Cranford Community Center Atrium (220 Walnut Ave). Please note that tour booklets are required for entrance to the homes!! The women also want to make sure you stop by the Hospitality House! This is a home of a current or past member and the first rooms of the home are opened up for delicious drinks and goodies!
Marla indicated that all types of homes are welcome to be showcased in a house tour. Some past entries have recently remodeled their home and want to showcase the new work. Other homes are rich in architectural design or have a special history to tell. Some homes are filled with exciting relics from past travels abroad! You can have any sized home – old or new!
The Cranford Woman’s Club Home for the Holidays House Tour is their largest fundraiser of the year. The proceeds all go into their philanthropic fund. At the end of year, the club votes on which charitable organizations will receive a portion of the fund. Every year they give out scholarships to seniors in high school who are Cranford residents. Last year they were able to hand out five scholarships! The house tour is also considered a separate fundraising entity and the women give a special donation straight to Cranford Family Cares through Project Home of Cranford!
30th Annual Home for the Holidays House Tour:
Marla wanted to make sure to thank some local patrons for their contributions to this 30th Annual Home for the Holidays House Tour! She mentioned that Saint Michael’s helps with the donation of the baked good and volunteers, all the local businesses who contribute to the booklet ads, the Green Thumb Garden Club for their holiday wreaths and festive decorating of the tour homes, and Laura Gardner (director of Helen K. Baldwin Nursery School) for her perfect artist renderings of each home on the tour! Hopefully we can also hear the melodic sounds of the CHS Choir singing carols in the homes!
You Don’t Have to Live in Cranford to Join the Cranford Woman’s Club!
The organization would like everyone to know that membership in the Cranford Woman’s Club is open to all women, over the age of 18, living in the Cranford area. You can join all year-round from September till June and you can be from any town! They have members from Roselle Park, Clark, Kenilworth – all over! Many members lived in Cranford as a child, have parents living in Cranford, or just have a love of the town! “Each of our dynamic members brings her own unique set of skills and talents to the table, and we enjoy working and socializing together.”
Gather your friends and family members and make a day of it on Sunday, December 8th! It’s the perfect way to ring in the season on a winter Sunday looking at the beautifully decorated homes in our town. Take in a brunch or dinner at one of our cozy restaurants and you’ll be giving back to Cranford in a huge way! You can follow the event on Facebook at Holiday House Tour FB Page for the latest information!
If you are interested in featuring your home for a future tour, please email cranfordjwc@yahoo.com for more information.
See you all out and about as we are “Home for the Holidays”!
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