The weather outside was delightful on Dec. 7, helping fill the Winter Dreams Tour of Homes locations with interested visitors.
Jennifer Heiges, vice chairman of the Winter Dreams committee, said she was nervous about tour attendance because inclement weather forced the cancellation of last year's event.
At A Glance
Winter Dreams Tour of Homes
Who: Junior League of Northwest Arkansas
When: Dec. 7
Where: Nine homes throughout Washington and Benton counties
Information: juniorleaguenwa.org
Junior League Cookbooks Available
“Add Another Place Setting,” a hardcover cookbook with more than 200 of the best recipes from the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas, is available for purchase on the Junior League website for $26.95.
Source: juniorleaguenwa.org
"Every single house I went to, it was extremely packed," Heiges noted.
Now in its 16th year, the Winter Dreams Tour of Homes featured nine houses in Benton and Washington counties. The Junior League of Northwest Arkansas, the sponsoring organization, had not tallied tickets sold or money raised as of Thursday, but Heiges said the event was successful.
"I really think it left a meaningful impact on the community this year."
The Junior League of Northwest Arkansas is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers, according to juniorleaguenwa.org. The Junior League's community focus is domestic violence awareness and prevention, and the organization's members work with several agencies that provide services for families affected by domestic violence, including Children's House and Peace at Home Family Shelter, both located in Springdale, and Restoration Village and Havenwood of Benton County.
Several Junior League members volunteered during the tour, directing guests through the nine homes. The tour included some smaller homes and some "over-the-top homes," and many featured holiday decor, Heiges said.
"I think it was a great event with a lot of variety for a lot of our tour goers," said Eileen Jennings, president of the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas.
Heiges said many guests told her they were looking forward to next year's event. The 2015 tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 6, she said.
Those interested in opening their homes for next year's tour can contact Heiges at [email protected]. She said the committee will reach out to any interested homeowners in the next several weeks and would like to have all of the homes contracted to participate in the tour between June and August.
NAN Profiles on 12/14/2014