HOUSE TOUR

Mar Jennings Classic New England Christmas House Tour

Imagine a spacious New England country home whose rooms reflect all the cheer and warmth of the holidays. Throw a log on the fire to add to the glow.

Experience the magic of The Mar Jennings Classic New England Christmas House Tour on Sunday, December 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the Westport Historical Society’s 27th Annual Holiday Tour. Then, from 6 to 9 p.m., toast the season at an “Eat, Drink & Be MAR-ry” party at Terrain, one of Westport’s most imaginative home and garden retail spaces.

The “Eat, Drink & Be MAR-ry” party will feature hors d’oeuvres prepared by Terrain’s staff; wine and music; and the chance to bid in live and silent auctions on such fabulous holiday gifts as a trip to Africa and tickets to the Emmys.

“This will be the event of the year when it comes to celebrating the holiday season,” said lifestyle expert Mar Jennings, honorary chair of the event. “It will be like a Bing Crosby Christmas special.”

The homes for this year’s tour have been selected to showcase the special Christmas spirit of New England, and all will be decked out in designer holiday finery.

Here’s the glittering lineup:

  • a magnificent Federal-style home in a park-like setting,
  • a 6,000-square-foot Adirondack-style log home on a quiet lane,
  • ‰two beautiful Colonials, one with a touch of Golden Age Hollywood, the other with a study paneled with reclaimed 18thcentury chestnut,
  • ‰and a designer home owned by best-selling author and television personality Jennings, whose residence has been chosen as the tour’s official Terrain home.

Docents will be available in every room of the homes to discuss the d̩cor and design features, and in some cases the designers themselves will be present to answer questions.

And there’s more. Mar’s street will also have a pop-up Terrain store, carolers in Victorian costume, a lute ensemble, a neighbor serving hot chocolate and a mini-tour of a bonus house. Mar will also be selling and signing copies of his new book, “Life on Mar’s: Creating Casual Luxury.”

So what are you waiting for? Buy your ticket now! Where else can you see inside five beautiful homes, gather designer decorating tips, shop, raise a glass to the holidays in beautiful surroundings and get to chat with television host Mar Jennings, a regular contributor to Meredith’s “The Better Show” and to the Fox and NBC networks.

Call the Westport Historical Society at (203) 222-1424 for tickets. Cost of the Holiday House Tour is $40 for WHS members, $50 for nonmembers, $55 day of tour. The Eat, Drink and Be MARry party is $75.

These unique holiday events and a Hidden Garden Tour in June are the Westport Historical Society’s major annual fundraisers. All proceeds help fulfill its mission of presenting and celebrating history in Westport.