Throughout Glendale and the Crescenta Valley home tours and boutiques kick off the holiday season.

The Crescenta Valley Heritage Home Tour “Sites with a Story” will be held on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This self-guided tour of seven valley structures built between 1875 and 1934 features homes with a story to tell – stories important to the founding of La Cañada, tales of a castle complete with a moat and a house featured in a Raymond Chandler mystery novel.

The tour is a rare opportunity to experience the complete Lanterman story with a visit to Homewood, the original family home built in 1875, as well as the Congregational Church founded by the Lanterman family. La Crescenta historians Mike Lawler and Art Cobery, authors of the new publication “The Great Crescenta Valley Flood,” will tell the tale of the 1934 flood at the American Legion Hall in La Crescenta which was the scene of the its greatest devastation. Books will be available for purchase.

Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Lanterman House Foundation at www.lantermanfoundation.org, then going to “Sites with Story” link and clicking on “purchase now.” Tickets are also available on the day of the event at the Lanterman House, 4420 Encinas Dr., La Cañada starting at 10 a.m. Advance tickets are $20, tickets purchased the day of the event are $25.

For additional information, call the Lanterman House at (818) 790-1421. The ticket to the Dec. 1 event will include a free tour of the Lanterman House during its regular hours that are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or the first and third Sundays of each month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

 


Annual Hoover Tour of Homes
The 55th annual Hoover Tour of Homes features four Glendale character homes on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each home will be decorated to reflect its homeowner’s holiday traditions.

The tour is sponsored by the Hoover High School Parent Teachers Association.  Proceeds will fund scholarships for Hoover High School graduates.

Included in the tour are four homes built in 1937, including an American Colonial Revival home, now listed on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources. Also featured is a French Normandy home and a Spanish-style property that retains many of its original mahogany beams, doors and windows. Finally, an example of a sprawling California Ranch home will be showcased.

Attendees will enjoy seasonal entertainment by Hoover students at each location. A tea will be served at the Colonial Revival property. Visitors to the French Normandy home can groove to the Hoover Jazz Band and the Hoover chorus will serenade visitors at the California Ranch property. Guests at the Spanish style home will enjoy shopping a Christmas boutique.

Lunch can be purchased in the south parking lot of Kenneth Village. Kenneth Village vendors that provide lunch will donate a portion of their proceeds to the tour.

Tickets are $25 in advance and may be obtained at several businesses in Kenneth Village. They will also be available at the concierge at the Americana at Brand and at the Alex Theater.

For more information, go to the tour website www.hoovertourofhomes.org.

Candlelight Tours of the Doctors House Museum
The Glendale Historical Society (TGHS) will present candlelight tours of the historic Victorian-era Doctors House Museum on Saturday, Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 15. The self-guided tours will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each evening. The museum, located in Brand Park, 1601 W. Mountain St. in Glendale, will be illuminated by lamps and candlelight in the 1800s holiday tradition. Costumed volunteers will serve refreshments, and the Pasadena Conservatory of Music will perform live music.

The Doctors House Museum is an authentically restored Queen Anne-Eastlake style home built around 1888. Four early doctors owned it in succession, giving the house its name. It was later occupied by silent screen icon Nell Shipman. The Doctors House is listed now on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.

No reservations are required for the Candlelight Tours, but a $5 donation is requested to support the maintenance of the Doctors House Museum. Admission is free for members of The Glendale Historical Society.

The tours will be available regardless of weather conditions, but some outdoor activities may be curtailed in the event of rain.

For more information, visit www.glendalehistorical.org or call (818) 242-7447.

Boutique to Benefit Prom Plus
Also on Dec. 8 is a holiday boutique at St. Luke’s of the Foothills benefiting Prom Plus at Crescenta Valley High School.

The popular boutique replaces the organization’s annual tour of homes this year and offers a variety of goods – mainly hand-made – including jewelry, clothing and home goods. The home tour will return in 2013.

There will also be food trucks on site.

The boutique is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there is no charge to attend.

St. Luke’s of the Foothills is located at 2563 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta.