Vacaville Museum Guild's Annual Holiday Home Tour

Description

The Vacaville Museum Guild's Holiday Home Tour

“I have been collecting decorations for over 30 years. (Each year) as I open each box ... it is like I am
bringing out old friends.” Linda De Bernardi, 2023 Holiday Home Tour homeowner.
The Vacaville Museum Guild has made a tradition since the 1980's of asking local homeowners to
open their homes for the holidays as a fundraiser for the Vacaville Museum, A Center for Solano
County History and Culture. And homeowners have responded with generosity and grace.
“It was love at first sight when our family purchased the home.” Holly Malone, 2023 HHT homeowner.
There has been a wonderfully varied collection of homes featured over the years. Many Victorian
homes have been up-dated, but always with an eye toward preserving the essence of the original.
“Friends told me I had to paint the ceiling white, but I just couldn't do it. The original is so beautiful.”
Shawnee Rapisarda, 2022 HHT homeowner.
Early wallpaper samples have been saved and displayed. Crown moldings, dormer windows, floating

staircases: details carefully crafted by Vacaville's finest architects from both the twentieth and twenty-
first centuries. Old farm and ranch homes, and elegant, newly-built residences; 4000-square-foot

homes and darling cottages: all lovingly cared for and dressed up for the holidays.
In years past, visitors have seen large collections of nutcrackers; over two hundred Santas in one home,
elves smiling and cavorting from cabinet tops, mantles, tables and hearths; heirloom ornaments and
handmade treasures; and even a gold-rimmed set of dishes over one hundred and twenty years old.
Organizers as well as tour participants always come away inspired and delighted. What a beautiful
way to begin the holiday season.
“When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do...is turn on the Christmas tree. I sit back, drink
my coffee and think of the family members and friends that have inspired me to decorate and enjoy the
holidays.” Linda DeBernardi
This year's tour will be held on December 14th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. There will again be a
wide variety of homes from the Victorian to the modern and everything in between, each completely
different from the others. Tour participants will visit a dreamy, white, Vintage-filled 1940's cottage
with a definite beachy vibe; a ranch house garlanded with Nature's beauty; a not-to-miss decorator's
dream world, designed by a man who loves to dress up his home—both inside and out; a Candy Cane
Lane delight...and still others that will enchant them.
As always, the Guild will be providing a complimentary spread of sweet and savory bites to start the
day. There will be beautiful and fun holiday items on raffle, along with the ever-popular Dessert of the
Month raffle, by which one lucky winner will receive a special dessert every month for the entire year
of 2025.
After all these years, tickets for the tour are still only $30.00 each ($32 if purchased with a credit card)
and will go on sale at the Museum beginning November 1st . Raffle tickets will be sold separately, and
winners will be drawn at 3:00 on the afternoon of the tour.
For more information contact the Vacaville Museum at 213 Buck Avenue, Vacaville, CA * 707-447-
4513.