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Five distinctively different residences open their doors for the Batavia House Walk in September, including a rare invitation to explore the historic Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary Convent.
Organizers have mixed in sweet inducements, from inventive tablescapes at each house created by The Little Traveler in Geneva, to a tea served at Water Street Studios, offering a sneak peek at the gallery’s big anniversary exhibit. Elaborate floral designs at the homes will share a bouquet of design ideas with guests.
The goal was to select homes in contrasting styles, says Joi Cuartero, executive director of Batavia MainStreet, which sponsors the tour as a fundraiser to help support downtown revitalization projects. They range from a vintage Victorian jewel to a reimagined home.
“(It’s) a complete renovation from a farmhouse — turned into something much grander,” Cuartero says, noting stairs were moved and upstairs walls removed to open rooms up into an entirely new layout.
This year, volunteers who do a shift at the tea or a home will receive a free ticket for the tour. It takes more than 100 volunteers to pull the event off, Cuartero says.
The tour program, which serves as ticket, features a history of each of the houses, including tidbits about the rooms.
Goodie bags given to guests at the tea will include special offers from the town’s merchants and restaurants.
Putting the benefit together is Jan Gibson, who chairs the house tour.
“She has taken this event to another level,” Cuartero says. “And she’s planning for the next one already.”
Five distinctively different residences open their doors for the Batavia House Walk in September, including a rare invitation to explore the historic Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary Convent.
Organizers have mixed in sweet inducements, from inventive tablescapes at each house created by The Little Traveler in Geneva, to a tea served at Water Street Studios, offering a sneak peek at the gallery’s big anniversary exhibit. Elaborate floral designs at the homes will share a bouquet of design ideas with guests.
The goal was to select homes in contrasting styles, says Joi Cuartero, executive director of Batavia MainStreet, which sponsors the tour as a fundraiser to help support downtown revitalization projects. They range from a vintage Victorian jewel to a reimagined home.
“(It’s) a complete renovation from a farmhouse — turned into something much grander,” Cuartero says, noting stairs were moved and upstairs walls removed to open rooms up into an entirely new layout.
This year, volunteers who do a shift at the tea or a home will receive a free ticket for the tour. It takes more than 100 volunteers to pull the event off, Cuartero says.
The tour program, which serves as ticket, features a history of each of the houses, including tidbits about the rooms.
Goodie bags given to guests at the tea will include special offers from the town’s merchants and restaurants.
Putting the benefit together is Jan Gibson, who chairs the house tour.
“She has taken this event to another level,” Cuartero says. “And she’s planning for the next one already.”
