By Gillian Rozicer
Cold gray skies and freezing temperatures were the perfect backdrop for the warmth and sparkle of The Garden Club’s Holiday House Tour. Held on Thursday, December 7, 2023, more than 1200 visitors bundled up and stood in line to take in the holiday spectacle of five houses brilliantly decorated in the splendor of nature by Garden Club members.
A feast for the eyes and a full-year production, the tour brings to life the creativity and skill of The Garden Club. The event has been held annually since 196l when tickets were $2 and visitors were asked to not wear spiked heels. Now everyone wears soft slippers as they pad through the houses at their leisure.
Along the way, the Boutique at the Surf City firehouse did not require a ticket and was filled with arrangements of greens brought in from the gardens of club members. Alongside was a tour favorite of tasty homemade holiday cookies baked in members’ kitchens. Local vendors brought in luxurious cold weather gear, seashore art and handmade jewelry all arranged for gift shoppers.
The Holiday House Tour is one of two fundraisers that support The Garden Club’s amazing, Island-wide program of community service. Included in this important work is the protection, preservation, and management of the natural environment of LBI, maintenance of three public gardens, garden therapy, and services for seniors, scholarships for local high school students, programs for young children, and contributions to like-minded organizations throughout the Island and mainland.
The Garden Club also brings the Outdoor Living, Garden Tour and Art Show to the Island in the summer, as the second part of its fundraising program.
The 57th holiday house tour is scheduled for December 12, 2024. Tickets will be available on the club’s website thegardencluboflbi.com.
