Holiday Tour of Homes

Holiday Tour of Homes
A Fundraiser for Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra
was held Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018

For 30 years, the MSO has been fortunate to have members of the community open their homes for the symphony. It is a time to spend a day with friends, enjoy homes decorated for the season, consider possible ideas for decorating and know that you are helping the symphony continue to provide classical music to the lakeshore. Volunteers at the homes provide historical information about the homes, which are beautifully decorated by professional florists and decorators. And of course there is entertainment by area vocal groups, guest musicians and members of our Symphony Orchestra.

Thank you to our homeowners, hosts, decorators, business owners, volunteers and to our tour guests!

Rodewald’s Red Forest Inn, Kay and Alan Rodewald
Mark & Kelly Rohrer
Dan & Pennae LeClair
Connie Randolph
Rich Larsen & Kathy Wanek-Larsen
Jeremiah & Rebecca Novak
Amy Townsend/Berkshire Hathaway
Acute Angle, 210 N 8th St
Ansay & Associates, 4712 Expo Dr
The Flower Gallery, 102 North 8th St
Roorbach Flowers, 961 South 29th St
Two Buds Floral & Gift, 4109 Broadway St
The Wild Iris, 820 South 8th St
Capitol Civic Centre,  913 S. 8th St
Schroeder’s Dept Store, 1623 Washington St

Below are some photos from the 2018 Tour

Press release:

MSO FUNDRAISER PROVIDES A SYMPHONY OF HOLIDAY IDEAS

Holiday decorating ideas abound at the semi-annual Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Tour of Homes. Six homes and one business, all professionally decorated for the holidays, will be available for seasonal inspiration and ideas. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, December 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

According to Peggy Pitz, MSO Executive Director and co-chair of the event along with Emily Howe and Jane Lohmeyer, three homes in Two Rivers, three homes in Manitowoc, and one Manitowoc business will be all dressed up for the holidays and participating in the event.

Each home in the Tour has an assigned decorator from a participating area business, and this year the local designers are from Two Buds Floral and Gifts, The Flower Gallery, The Wild Iris, Acute Angle gift shop and Roorbach’s.

Participants in the Tour of Homes can begin at any of the featured homes and go to as few or as many as desired. Head hostesses, usually members of the Special Events Committee of the MSO, are posted at each home, along with volunteers who work in two hour shifts. “We are most grateful for the volunteers who act as hosts and hostesses in the homes. It takes approximately 180 volunteers to ensure a successful event,” Pitz said.

Tickets for the event cost $20 in advance, or $25 on the day of the event. Tickets are available at The Flower Gallery, Two Buds Floral and Gift, The Wild Iris, Roorbach Flowers, Ansay and Associates, Capitol Civic Centre box office, Acute Angle and Schroeder’s Department Store. Online tickets may be purchased with an additional $2 processing fee per ticket. All funds raised go back to the Symphony, according to Pitz.

Featured stops in the Tour include:

• The Rich Larsen and Kathy Wanek-Larsen home, 102 Cleveland Ave., Manitowoc. “This is the newest house…built in 2016,” Pitz said. “It is facing Lake Michigan, so the majority of the house is windows. The view is spectacular. It is a fun house.”
• The Pennae and Dan LeClair home, 3138 Memorial Drive, Two Rivers. Another home facing Lake Michigan. “This ranch style home has been updated to reflect the design and decorating ideas of the owners”, Pitz noted. Christmas cookies will be available for sale at this home with the proceeds going to the MSO.
• The Jeremiah and Rebecca Novak home, 711 North Tenth St., Manitowoc. The Novak familial home, it has been redecorated to reflect Jeremiah’s passion for cooking. “There is a huge, efficient kitchen with a big farm table,” Pitz said. The Novak’s added, “After making the home a second generation owner, we wanted to share our hard work in renovating the home and showcasing modern with classic design to the community.”
• The Red Forest Inn B & B, owned by Kay and Alan Rodewald, 1421 25th Street, Two Rivers. An older home converted into a B&B that is beautifully decorated, according to Pitz, and has been on the Tour of Homes in the past. “It has been updated and we are proud to have it on the tour again,” Pitz noted.
• The Mark and Kelly Rohrer home, 2408 Jefferson St., Two Rivers. “It is the largest home on the tour. It is an historical and beautiful home,” Pitz said.
• Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate, 907 South Eighth St., Manitowoc. The space, formerly occupied by Book World, is described by Chrissy Lombard, owner of Two Buds in Manitowoc, and designer of three of the stops on the tour, as an “interesting space. I have a big sleigh and I’m going to use that as a prop. We’re doing big trees, and the building kind of lends itself towards green and purple and we’re doing kind of a contemporary feel there…contemporary, but kind of soft. It’s a neat space,” she said. “People should check it out.”
• Connie Randolph, 1424 Gunnell Lane, Manitowoc. Lombard said the large, sprawling ranch may possibly be decorated with three trees, along with updated wreaths. Pitz noted that it is all on one floor and again, very accessible.

The homeowners can choose what spaces are decorated. Some have chosen to decorate their entire home, while others have chosen one level or area. Some use their personal decorations, while others leave the decorators bring their own.

Each of the homes on the Tour will be marked with a sign that indicates it is a “Symphony Showcase Home,” and there will be other signs around town advertising the event.
“Tour participants can expect to find homes that are decorated in different styles from traditional to modern, a lot to little and I hope that some of the ideas that are shown will inspire tour goers to go home and try some of the ideas themselves,” Pitz said.

As an added touch, many of the homes will have musicians performing throughout the day. Pianists, singers, musicians will provide music of the season to be enjoyed as one walks through the homes.

Pitz also gave a shout out to the decorators and the businesses that they represent. “We hope that the people who tour the homes will be inspired by the decorators and will visit the businesses they represent and support them. This is their busiest time of the year and these decorators make the effort to go to the homes to decorate for us…and that takes a lot of time and effort!” she said.

1. 1421 25th St., Two Rivers  Rodewald’s Red Forest Inn (above),  Decorated by Two Buds Floral & Gift

2. 2408 Jefferson St., Two Rivers  Mark & Kelly Rohrer,  Decorated by Roorbach Flowers

3. 3138 Memorial Dr., Two Rivers  Dan & Pennae LeClair,  Decorated by The Flower Gallery & Acute Angle

4. 1424 Gunnell Ln., Manitowoc  Connie Randolph,  Decorated by Two Buds Floral & Gift

5. 102 Cleveland Ave., Manitowoc  Rich Larsen & Kathy Wanek-Larsen,  Decorated by The Wild Iris

6. 711 N. 10th St., Manitowoc  Jeremiah & Rebecca Novak Decorated by The Flower Gallery

7. 907 S. 8th St., Manitowoc  Amy Townsend/Berkshire Hathaway, Decorated by Two Buds Floral & Gift