The Naperville Garden Club kicked off the Christmas season with its 63rd annual Cup of Cheer event on Thursday.
The event, a fundraiser for the organization, features a Holiday Market and Tea experience at the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873, along with tours of four festively decorated Naperville homes.
“Guests can tour in any order they want. Then, they come here and have cookies and shop,” said Deb Tritt, former president of the Naperville Garden Club.
Guests enjoy tea time at Cup of Cheer
Guests start the day at the VFW for some tea time, indulging in baked goods from members of the garden club. There, they also peruse the hundreds of Christmas decorations available for purchase.
To commemorate the event, ticketholders then leave with a cup and saucer or a mug, a yearly tradition. This year’s cup features an illustration of a jolly snowman standing beside a Christmas tree outside a house.
“We have a distinctive cup each year, and we always look for one that is most beautiful. It’s not always a Christmas pattern,” said Diane Greenawalt, china chairperson of the Naperville Garden Club.
Naperville home tours
After tea, guests embark on self-guided tours of four homes across different Naperville neighborhoods, all decorated for the season, while also showcasing the homeowner’s personal style.
This year, the list includes the Adams house at Brookwood Terrace, the Frank home at Old Farm, the Jurjovec home at Saybrook, and the Laskowski home at the East Highlands neighborhood.
Garden club officials say proceeds from the event have allowed them to make a positive impact on the community throughout the years.
“This year, we’re spending $15,000 on scholarships. We also do other community projects, like we give an arrangement of the week to the Ronald McDonald Home at Edward Hospital,” said Tritt.
The two-day event returns on Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for ticketholders. The market will be open to all members of the public from noon to 4 p.m.
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