Laramie’s Holiday Home Tour Features Historic & Modern Homes

One of the joys of the holiday season in Laramie is taking part in the Holiday Home Tour, offering residents an opportunity to tour historic and modern homes, adorned with decorations for the holidays. The 2011 University Women's Club Holiday Home Tour is from noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. Tickets cost $10 in advance and are available at Ace Hardware and Turtle Rock Coffee. Tickets also are available the day of the tour for $12 at the featured homes.

"Since 2003, the University Women's Club has been providing funding assistance to non-traditional women to attend UW," Jacque Buchanan, a longtime member of the University Women's Club, says. "These women might not have any other way to attend college, and the Holiday Home Tour is what makes this fundraising goal possible." The Holiday Home Tour is the University Women's Club main fundraiser of the year. Funds from last year's Holiday Home tour provided scholarships to Mikia Carter of Laramie, an undergraduate studying elementary education with an endorsement in early childhood education, and Kristine Koss of Laramie, an undergraduate in communications and graphic design. Each received $1,000 to apply toward tuition to attend UW for the 2011-2012 academic year. Koss spoke about her award during the fall University Women's Club dinner event at the Hilton Garden Inn. She said, "The opportunity to attend UW means I can also inspire my children to also attain a degree in higher education in their future."

This year's tour offers an interesting blend of the old and new with four of Laramie's finest homes for the holidays. The tour includes a remodeled home from the turn of the 19th century, an aesthetically designed energy efficiency home with natural light and views of the Laramie Range, a newly designed interior ranch house with all the amenities and featuring historical gardens (past winner of the Laramie beautification award), and a home that looks like a European castle that includes an indoor waterfall, farmhouse-style kitchen, as well as a horse stable, riding arena and music studio on the property.

The University Women's Club, a non-profit, has served Laramie's residents for nearly 100 years. The club offers members a variety of interest groups and special events throughout the year. For information, email Catherine Bagley at catherine.bagley@gmail.com .