Author Washington Irving once said of Christmas that it is a “season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”
And on December 4, members of the Sunflower Garden Club of Sun City will do just that, as the group hosts its fifth annual Holiday House Walk from 3 to 7 p.m. and five Sun City residents open their doors to the anticipated 300 eventgoers.
According to the group’s Patricia McMahon, though each of the five houses has a holiday theme, the event is a chance for those who walk through to cluster together, enjoy each other’s company and take in the holiday.
“A lot of the time we get people to gather around and reminisce. They’ll say things like ‘oh, I have that piece’ or ‘oh, my mother had that piece … I remember that piece.’ There are just a lot of conversations going on, and we’re able to get people to create their own ideas for decorating,” McMahon said.
In addition to the decorations, refreshments will be provided at each house. McMahon said the event also serves as an opportunity to identify with the elevation of the home: “When you live in Sun City, you’re familiar with the elevations we have here. So we’ll have some people who want to know if it’s the Buckingham or the Dearborn or something like that.”
Once the walk portion concludes, the group will converge at the Fountain View Center for snacks and refreshments. In a release, the group noted that seating will be available to sit and discuss the homes and ideas “you may have gleaned to make your own home more festive this year.” A quilt raffle will also occur at Fountain View, McMahon adds.
Tickets to the event are $10 and can be purchased up to the day of the event. They are available by calling McMahon at 847-659-9843, buying them at Prairie Lodge on Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m., or even on the day of the event at the Prairie View entrance.
Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to several charities. Each house selected a specific charity, McMahon notes, which include The Salvation Army, the American Cancer Society, and two pet-related shelters.
