by Rick Winterson
This is about the Laboure Center’s 2017 Christmas House Tours – just over ten days from now.
Meanwhile, please enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends this Thursday. Take advantage of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday – especially in and around South Boston. But also take a few minutes to get your tickets to Laboure Center’s Annual Christmas House Tours.
This year, both of these memorable tours take place during the first weekend of Advent. Choose between the Saturday Tour, December 2, 4 to 6 p.m. (the Twilight Tour), or the Sunday Tour, December 3, 12 noon to 4 p.m. (the Daylight Tour). Make plans to spend some time in the Laboure Center before and after you complete the House Tours – the Shoppe at Laboure will be in full swing (10 to 8 on Saturday; 10 to 4 on Sunday), with a Christmas selection you simply won’t find (!) anywhere else.
Contact ccab.org/ChristmasHouseTours2017, or phone 617-464-8500 for tickets. The Twilight Tour tickets are $50; Sunday’s Daylight Tour tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on the day of the Tour. NOTE: Santa Claus will be at Sunday’s Daylight Tour from 11:30 till 12:30.
This year’s selection of houses for the Tours is especially notable. We have tried to give you a brief forecast of what you’ll experience in the accompanying photos. In total, there are five beautifully decorated homes to tour – 49 G Street, 58 G Street, 56 N Street, 928 East Broadway (Unit 4), and 870 East Sixth Street (Unit 1).
Here are examples of what you’ll see on your own Christmas House Tours: You might not realize that South Boston has welcomed many German folks and families in the past, among its many other ethnicities. Well, in the 2017 House Tours, you’ll experience “Christmas in Germany” at 58 G Street. Look for six (yes, 6) restored fireplaces, spacious pantries, and a study nicknamed “The Red Sox Room” (you have to see it). Froeliche Weihnachten.
At 928 East Broadway – frequently referred to as “the Collins Mansion” – you’ll experience “The Gilded Soiree” in Unit 4. It is a post-Civil War 1867 building, centered around a striking crystal chandelier in the living room. Note especially how original touches, Gilded Age notes, and European modern blend with each other. The other three homes on the Tours have equally creative themes – “Upstairs/Downstairs Noel” (49 G St.), “Homecoming” (56 N St.), and “A Nutcracker Christmas” (870 East Sixth St., Unit 1).
This will be the Laboure Center’s 27th Annual Christmas House Tours. By now, the Tours have truly become the traditional way South Boston opens its Advent and Christmas Season. The Tours are quite a project each year; many participants deserve to be mentioned: The Honorary Chairs in 2017 are Mary Bulger, Michele Hart, and Sr. Maryadele Robinson. Four of the five decorating teams are returning this year – renowned architects Elkus-Manfredi (56 N), JS Interiors and Mt. Ida College (870 E. 6th), Suffolk University design students (49 G St.), and six NESAD (Suffolk) alumni (58 G St.). The single new decorating team in 2017 is Embarc Studio located on K Street (928 East Broadway).
See you on the House Tours December 2 and 3.
