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The 56th Annual Tour of Homes Held Friday, July 25 to Showcase the Most Notable Homes in Blowing Rock

By Travis Miller

BR-chamber-logo-smallJuly 23, 2014. The 56th annual Tour of Homes, sponsored by St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, is once again touring Blowing Rock and showcasing some of the area’s most noteworthy homes.

The Tour will be held on Friday, July 25, with the first shuttles leaving St. Mary of the Hills at 9 a.m. and the last leaving at 3 p.m. The homes will be open until 5 p.m. All proceeds to this year’s tour will go to charity to help support the community.

The Tour will cover the homes of Jan and David Bradford, Gigi and Shawn Pole, Curt Andrews, Mary Bickers and Mark Murphy and of Steve Price and Chris Frye. Each of the homes are unique, many of which are the historic homes of past political figures and famous residents. Attendees will get the opportunity to see a variety of beautiful architectural styles, vast collections of artwork, elaborate gardens and one-of-a-kind interior decor.

Tickets to the Tour are $25 and may be purchased at either St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church or at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.

A lunch from Roots at the Church Café will be provided for $10 and will include a vegetarian option. Tickets to the Café may be purchased at St. Mary of the Hills and are available on the day of the tour.

There are also several additional features of the tour. The Italian Marketplace will be a feature, offering Italian baked goods and sweets and the Timeless Treasure silent auction will offer attendees a chance to bid on a number of unique items including original artwork, jewelry, a Wall of Wine that boasts more than 100 bottles of wine, numerous antiques, a large collection of priceless Christmas ornaments that have been donated, seasonal wreaths and many live plants.

The Tour has been a hit in the past with nearly 1500 people in attendance each year. Last year, the event managed to raise $55,000. Loy McGill, Tour of Homes Committee co-chair encourages another big year.

“It’s a wonderful way to spend your Friday and visit homes that you wouldn’t normally be able to see. It’s also a way for you to give to the community because your dollars will be funneled to those who need it. You can give and enjoy at the same time.”

She would also like to show her appreciation for everyone involved.

“It’s a real community effort. Certainly this isn’t something that can be done by just the church alone. There is a real spirit of generosity by organizers, home owners, volunteers, patrons and the wonderful merchants in the community that get together and make sure that the Tour is a success. It really takes a village to pull something like this off.”

For more information about the Tour of Homes, visit StMaryofTheHills.org or call 828-295-6331.