Reeves-Reed Arboretum Annual Holiday House Tour Set for Dec. 5

The following was submitted by the Reeves-Reed Arboretum:

Things are getting festive as the final touches are being put on Reeves-Reed Arboretum’s Annual Holiday House Tour, set for Thursday, Dec. 5 from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. 

The tour will include seven elegant homes in Summit and Short Hills, all decked out for the holidays, ranging from contemporary homes to stylish Tudors, and including the mansion at Greenwood Gardens and Wisner House on the Arboretum grounds.

After the tour, Wisner House will host the annual Designer Holiday Boutique and Gift Gallery, where tour participants can shop for holiday gifts handmade by area artists and craftsmen. The Holiday Boutique will continue on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. when you can have cookies and cocoa with Santa and have your picture taken while you tell him if you’ve been naughty or nice ($5 per person).

In addition to the house tour, tickets include a buffet luncheon at the Beacon Hill Club. For ticket-bearers at the $250 level, the day includes a pair of tickets, the luncheon, and a jitney ride that leaves from the Grand Summit and takes participants to each home on the tour.

Reeves-Reed Arboretum will again be selling limited edition hand-crafted art glass ornaments, created with actual leaves from Arboretum trees. Each ornament is numbered and comes with a ribbon for hanging. The Arboretum debuted the first ornament last year, and some of those will be available this year as well for anyone who missed the opportunity to start their collection. All proceeds from the ornament sales benefit the Arboretum. 

“Every year, the Holiday House Tour gets more exciting as more people get involved and more people turn out to see these beautiful homes,” said Frank Juliano, Executive Director of Reeves-Reed Arboretum. “This year’s event promises to be one of the best ever with so many breathtaking homes, and even more beautiful gifts at the Holiday Boutique, and of course, the ornaments which were a big hit last year.”

Another addition to this year’s event:  while supplies last, Summit Downtown Inc. will give all give all Holiday Boutique shoppers a $10 gift card good for shops in downtown Summit.

Other sponsors include The Beacon Hill Club; Beechwood Title Agency;  The Grand Summit Hotel; Hall’s Garden Center and Florist; Happy Holiday Lites; Hartlaub, Dotten & Mezzacca, PC; and Hilltop Community Bank.

For tickets and information, visit www.reeves-reedarboretum.org or call 908-273-8787.

About Reeves-Reed Arboretum:

Celebrating 40 years as a historic public garden and education resource, Reeves-Reed Arboretum seeks to engage, educate and enrich the public through horticulture and environmental education, and the care and utilization of the gardens and estate.  Open 7days a week from dawn til dusk, the Arboretum is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Historic Registers.