Homeowners open their doors for holiday walks
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to go inside a “Christmas house” when you join the folks at the curb enjoying the exterior scene, this is your chance.
Yes, it is time to buy tickets, gather family and friends and make plans for house walks, the beginning of the holiday season.
Tours are planned in Geneva, Libertyville, Mount Prospect, Naperville and Oak Brook.
In Oak Brook, Karen Giandonato has a big reputation to maintain when she opens her house on Sunday, Dec. 5. Her husband, James, has made a name for himself decorating the front of their house over the past 16 seasons. And now the Hinsdale Center for the Arts has asked them to open the home for the first time.
This is really a romantic story because James decorated another house for Karen years ago even before they were married.
The couple puts 150 hours into this project annually, with Karen giving her husband most of the credit.
The wire reindeer were probably the first things James bought for the Oakbrook house. Now there is almost anything you can imagine, from a nativity scene to a tree on the roof.
He has found vintage decorations like carolers and angels that some people will remember from the 1950s, not to mention the Polk Brothers Santa.
James' displays have even melted the corporate heart of ComEd. One year something broke underground on Dec. 18, and for one embarrassing night the house was totally dark. The electric company proposed a temporary fix, saying the whole service would be returned in January.
But when the supervisor came and saw James' display he believed the homeowner's protestations that hundreds of people would be disappointed if the show did not go on. The next day a crew was digging in the Giandonatos' back yard.
“It's a big job,” said Karen. “But it brings a lot of joy to people. We like to sit on the swing bundled up when people come by and hear what they say.”
Inside, the Giandonatos have a tree decorated with crystal ornaments in the living room, and in the family room a real tree shows vintage ornaments like bubble lights and beautiful flowerlike ornaments called matchless stars.
Three other Oak Brook houses will also be on the tour.
The Mount Prospect tour on Friday, Dec. 3, includes Sue and Ed Mahoney's relatively new home warmed with family heirlooms and pieces such as three clocks made by her father, David Engel of Des Plaines.
“He's a carpenter and he did a lot of work in the kitchen,” said Sue, ”like the custom desk with the granite top. His father was also a carpenter and we have a desk that he made.”
The cabinetmaker who built the colonial home in 1987 also included older touches such as leaded glass windows, vintage doors and an ornate fireplace mantel.
The staircase that stretches up to the third floor is impressive, as are the skylights that provide holiday views of downtown Mount Prospect from the loft.
Their Norman Rockwell plates came from Sue's mother, Marilyn Engel, and the tree continues the tradition of enjoying family with ornaments collected over the years to reflect the interests of sons Nick and Ryan.
Four other houses in the neighborhood are also open for the Mount Prospect Historical Society's Holiday Housewalk.
<B>If you go</B><P>
House walks around the suburbs are designed to raise money for causes while getting residents in the mood for the holidays.<P>
<B>Dec. 1:</B> Libertyville Christmas to Doorways Housewalk is 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1. Five homes will be open, and the St. Joseph Women's Guild will donate profits to local community organizations. This year the walk is dedicated to the memory of Lorraine McLaughlin, founder of the housewalk. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the church office, 121 East Maple Ave., and from downtown Libertyville merchants: Motif, How Impressive, Renew and Parkview Gourmet. Extras include a boutique with free admission from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church's Koenig Center. An $8 lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (847) 362-2073.<P>
<B>Dec. 3:</B> The Mount Prospect Historical Society's Holiday Housewalk from 3:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, is traditionally a walking event through a neighborhood lighted with luminaria. Five homes will be open. Tour goers can pick up their programs at South Church, 501 S. Emerson St., where they will find refreshments. Tickets are $20 in advance at several area locations and the Dietrich Friedrichs House museum, 101 S. Maple St. On the day of the walk they are $22 at South Church. Information is available at mtphist.org or (847) 392-9006.<P>
<B>Dec. 3:</B> Cup of Cheer from the Naperville Garden Club is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3. Four homes will be open. Tickets are $35 and include a souvenir bone china cup and saucer. The Holiday Market on the second floor of North Central College's White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave., is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and people without house walk tickets can shop after noon. Tickets are available at businesses in the area. The walk has previously sold out. For more information, visit napervillegardenclub.com.<P>
<B>Dec. 3 and 4:</B> The Geneva Christmas House Tour is 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Five homes will be open, and tea will be served at the First Congregational Church, 327 Hamilton St. Tickets are $28 until Dec. 2 and $30 afterward. Purchase at the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, 8 S. Third St. or several businesses. Tickets available at the chamber on Dec. 3 if they don't sell out, and at the church on Dec. 4. For more information, visit genevachamber.com or call (630) 232-6060.<P>
<B>Dec. 5:</B> Four Oak Brook homes will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, for the Hinsdale Center for the Arts Holiday Home Tour. Tickets are $35 in advance at several locations or $40 the day of the event at any of the homes. Information is online at hinsdalearts.org or at (630) 887-0203. A trolley departing at 1 p.m. from the Salt Creek Club, 830 N. Madison St., Hinsdale, is included in the ticket price. Live musicians will perform at each home.<P>