Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 4 offers peek inside five gorgeous homes

Five generous families will open their doors to tourists from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 4 for the Colleyville Woman’s Club Holiday Home Tour, now in its 32nd year. For those who can’t get enough of Christmas imagery and for devotees of interior design, the tour will satisfy both appetites.

According to Kim Harrison, chairwoman of the event, the tour is “better than ever — dozens of sponsors, 12 vendors, six hours, five beautiful homes and our Santa’s Sweet Stop add up to one great day of fun. The Colleyville Woman’s Club Holiday Home Tour comes around only once a year and you don’t want to miss this festive day to kick off your holiday season.”

Homes on the tour feature a variety of architectural styles, and each homeowner has chosen unique seasonal decorations.

The Southlake home of Athena and Dale Bankhead has an elegant contemporary holiday decor. A 10-foot New England pine adorned with 8,000 LED rice lights is amazing along with silvered pine cones and sparkly reindeer accents.

Sandra and Brad Bowen’s Colleyville home features a collection of nutcrackers and needlepoint stockings. Suspended from the second-floor balcony are gorgeous holiday spheres, and the dining room is decorated in lime green and red.

Everything sparkles in Teri and David Larsen’s Colleyville home. A collection of wreaths along with three lavishly decorated fireplace mantles and five distinctively decorated trees will be a visual treat including an upside-down tree suspended above the octagonal kitchen island.

Kelly McFarland has created a chic winter wonderland in her home in Colleyville. White, champagne and platinum with crystal, pearl and mink accents accompany a tall pencil tree embellished with crystal balls, bouquets, jeweled flowers and elaborate ribbons. A massive 14-foot tree is clad in tones of aqua, brass, pewter and mercury.

A unique cowboy wreath will greet guests at the Colleyville home of Diane and Tim Connor. Their holiday decor includes a collection of Lynn Haney Santas, snow globes, sparkly animals, nutcrackers and a nearly life-size Santa alongside a deer and a snow-covered tree.

The popular Santa’s Sweet Stop is back again in a new location: a luxury villa at 40 Village Lane in the Village at Colleyville. Visitors can get refreshments and visit with Santa as they peruse gift items, purchase raffle tickets and take home beautiful poinsettias for $12.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on tour day. Check the website for several ticket outlets or purchase online at www.c-w-c.org . Funds raised will enable the club to fund good causes across Northeast Tarrant County. Since 1978, it has raised more than $3.2 million. To inquire, call 817-358-1805.

The Trophy Club Women’s Club says the stars will be out for a Christmas in a film-themed holiday home tour from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 4. Each home will be decorated to reflect favorite Christmas movies.

Tourists are invited to extend the festivities at an after-party from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Trophy Club Country Club. Spokeswoman Amy Mancuso said guests will enjoy yummy food and holiday music along with a chance to participate in a raffle for a $1,000 Visa card, peruse a silent auction and pull a cork to see what vintage comes up at the wine pull.

Advance tickets are being sold for $20 at Tom Thumb and Sassy Flamingo in Trophy Club, and at Roanoke Pharmacy & Gift Shop and Sadie’s Resale Shop in Roanoke. Or they can be purchased at www.mytcwc.org.

On tour day tickets are $25. Locations of the tour homes appear on the tickets. To inquire, contact Mancuso at adkaiser74@hotmail.com or call 817-819-6729.

Five spectacularly decorated Mansfield homes will open their doors for tours from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 4 for the Holiday Home Tour hosted by the Mansfield Women’s Club. Co-chairing the tour are Kathleen Powers and Launa Barboza.

Raffle tickets will be sold at each home, and a diamond snowflake pendant necklace and cash balloons for $500 and $250 will go home with the winners. Funds raised benefit various charities serving women and children.

Advance tickets are $25 at Tom Thumb or Poured wine store. Tickets are $30 on tour day. View the homes and learn more at www.TheMansfieldWomensClub.com. Details on other events at www.mansfieldtexas.gov.

At this busy time of the year, it’s hard to imagine anyone with a more hectic schedule than Santa’s elves. That said, a brand new event named Elves on the Run could not be more fitting. Hosted by the Women’s Division of the Grapevine Chamber, the 5K and fun run are set for Saturday in Grapevine’s Oak Grove Park.

Bring the whole family out for the festivities beginning at 8:30 a.m. Food trucks will be on site selling breakfast foods and hot beverages for spectators (participants will be served after the race), and festive holiday music will fill the air. Santa will be on hand as runners cross the finish line. And allow time to do a little shopping among the vendors in the Santa’s Workshop area.

Wear an elf costume to get in the holiday groove and be eligible to win a prize for the best one. Groups wearing costumes will also compete for prizes. Stick around later for the fun awards ceremonies for racers with the best chip time in various categories.

Early registration is $20, and $15 for the kids fun run. Groups of five or more will receive a $2 discount per participant when registering online. To give students an incentive to sign up, a donation of $2 per participant (including parents, siblings, friends and neighbors of students) will be made to the student’s school PTA.

Funds raised will enable the Women’s Division to continue its community services including providing school supplies to Grapevine-Colleyville students and a holiday project benefiting senior citizens. Susie Howell of Frost Bank is the incoming chairwoman of the Women’s Division, succeeding Karen Deakin.

Sign up at www.ElvesOnTheRun5K.com. Contact race director Amanda Calongne at 817-229-5911 to inquire.

Get lots of gifts checked off that list at the wonderful holiday bazaar Dec. 4 hosted by the Junior Woman’s Club of Fort Worth. As part of the holiday open house the club is presenting, more than two dozen vendors will have their unique gift items on display.

The whole community is invited to come enjoy the event where guests can sip on wine, cider and eggnog and nibble on Christmas cookies while enjoying beautiful Christmas carols. Bring the kids to pose with Santa and enjoy watching great holiday movies. And don’t forget to bring a toy for the JWC toy drive.

“JWC is bound for holiday tradition with our annual Open House & Bazaar,” said club spokeswoman Elissa Winder. “This is a family-friendly event that all can enjoy to celebrate the season.”

Festivities take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at Meacham Hall, 1326 Pennsylvania Ave., and admission is free. To inquire, call 817-913-3169. Visit www.jwcfw.com to learn more about the club.

This story was originally published November 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 4 offers peek inside five gorgeous homes."