Ready for Cup of Cheer
“One of the neighbors came the Fourth of July, they were talking about our outdoor decorations so my husband goes ‘well come look indoors’ and she’s like ‘you really need to call the garden club if you decorate this much for the Fourth of July,'” said Nina Casey.
Homeowners are getting ready to deck the halls this holiday season. But none more so than those participating in the Naperville Garden Club’s 56th annual Cup of Cheer House Walk. Nina Casey starts to decorate in the middle of November. Besides the main tree, she has 10 themed Christmas trees around the house. And she’s ready to showcase them.
From the University of Texas, cupcakes and ice cream, Disney characters, and even a cheese head tree – they’re all a labor of love. But she does have a favorite. “My favorite is actually the kitchen tree. It’s got a lot of gingerbread and candy canes on it and I love cookies. I love all things sweet for Christmas,” said Casey. With so many around the house, is 10 trees enough? “This is the max, I’m not going to keep going,” said Casey.
Also ready to share the holiday cheer is Elisa Niesen. With more than 30 decorated trees, wreaths, and other décor, the Niesen home is ready for the Cup of Cheer.
“We’re excited for people to actually take a trip down memory lane because we do have so much actual vintage and trees that you wouldn’t normally see in a showroom and things like that because they are all put together either from families or memories or things that have been passed down,” said Niesen. But the hard work still isn’t over. Niesen and her kids still need to put up the big tree, which will happen closer to Christmas.
Cup of Cheer House Walk and Market
A total of four people will be opening up their homes for the garden club’s fundraiser that helps ring in the holidays. Named after the commemorative teacup each participant will receive, the Cup of Cheer house walk is a self-guided tour through each home for visitors to see different styles of holiday décor.
“I’m most excited that people are coming out of their homes and are going to join us for this event,” said Gwenn Lloyd, chairperson of Cup of Cheer. “I think everybody is ready to get out and get back to their traditions and the fun part of being part of a holiday event.”
The house walk will take place December 2 and 3, accompanied by a market at the Judd Kendall VFW where people can shop for their own holiday decorations. Tickets for the house walk can be found on the garden club’s website. Ringing in the holiday, with some cheer!
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
