23rd Holiday Home Tour at Pinewood Estate makes holidays “merry and bright” at Bok Tower Gardens
Christmas at Bok Tower Gardens is coming back for the holiday season, with plenty of events and activities for the whole family from Nov. 24, 2017 through Jan. 7, 2018.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., guests can enjoy the popular Holiday Home Tour at Pinewood Estate; live music on the 205-foot Singing Tower carillon; poinsettia, bromeliad and amaryllis displays; Sunset & Symphony Holiday Concert with the full Orlando Philharmonic on Dec. 2; winter walking tours and educational programs.
Admission to the Gardens and Pinewood Estate Holiday Home Tour through a combo admission is $24 for adults and $12 for children ages 5-12. Kids under the age of 5 are free.
Home for the Holidays
Taking a tour of the 20-room, 1932 Mediterranean-style Pinewood Estate is like taking a step back in time for a glimpse of how families might have celebrated the holidays. The estate’s decorations change each holiday, so no two years are alike. For 2017, the Holiday Home Tour will take more of a musical turn, celebrating Charles Austin Buck’s passion for music and American music of the 1930’s.
Guests can experience the fever of the jazz age with this year’s decor, and hear the sounds of Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong and more as Pinewood Estate celebrates the holiday season. Pinewood will also feature live jazz performances on select weekends during the run of the Holiday Home Tour.
Adding sparkle to a National Historic Landmark
Members of the Amaryllis Club are decorating the entire Pinewood Estate and its entry gates for the holidays, As a volunteer patron group, the mission of the Amaryllis Club is to promote and preserve the heritage and vintage style of Pinewood, and to take on other special projects for the Gardens.
“The Amaryllis Club is so pleased to join other designers in celebrating the 23rd annual Holiday Home Tour,” said Cindy Alexander, one of the club’s organizers. “Our members are excited to support the Gardens in a way that focuses on preparing a very special home for the holidays.”
Patti Bostick, the lead designer for the Amaryllis Club’s decorating team, said that their main intent was to maintain the house’s integrity in their designs, and to make sure that the decorations emphasized the home’s architecture and style.
“It’s an honor and a privilege for us to be decorating this one-of-a-kind home,” Bostick said. “Our entire team has worked on this project since spring, and we’re exciting that visitors will be able to experience how Mr. Buck and his family would have enjoyed Christmas together during the 1930’s.”
Ring in the holidays with Sunset & Symphony
In addition to the Holiday Home Tour, Bok Tower Gardens will also present its annual Sunset & Symphony Holiday Concert with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.
The Orlando Philharmonic and Singing Tower carillon will perform holiday classics while visitors enjoy picnic and festival-style seating on the Great Lawn. Advance tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 5-12. Day-of tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children. Kids under 5 are free. Admission to the Gardens after 3 p.m. on Dec. 2 will include a concert ticket.
A holiday hunt for the whole family
Kids are encouraged to explore the historic Pinewood Estate and enjoy a fun hunt for a family of Pinewood Christmas Squirrels hiding throughout the Estate. Before or after the Holiday Home Tour, families can enjoy the new Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden, with nearly three acres of nature-inspired play areas.
To refuel with snacks and drinks, guests can visit Pinewood Place adjacent to the Estate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Jan. 7, 2018. After the Christmas season ends, Pinewood Estate will reopen for daily tours later in January.
For more information on Christmas at Bok Tower Gardens, and to purchase tickets, visit boktowergardens.org.
