Holiday Home Hop to Benefit Library

Driving through the city to admire decorated houses is a quintessential part of the holiday season, but have you ever wondered what Christmas treasures live within those walls? Friends of Canby Public Library is proud to announce this year’s Christmas Tour of Homes, which invites the community to get an inside view of some of the most unique and beautifully decorated homes in town.

The Christmas Tour of Homes went on hiatus during the pandemic and produced a socially-distanced outdoor Christmas lights tour, but the event returned to its original form as an indoor tour last year. The local community has many winter holiday enthusiasts who work hard each year behind the scenes to transform their homes into magical winter wonderlands. “Several have really impressive collections,” explains Donna Bryant, a Friends of the Library director. “It’s a way for them to show off their artistry.”

From brilliantly lit displays to themed trees and serenades of holiday tunes, this year’s tour promises fun Christmas memories for the whole family. It takes place on Saturday, December 14th, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at the library or the service desk at Cutsforth’s Market. Addresses are printed on the tickets so families can plan their routes. Friends’ volunteers will be stationed at each location to greet guests and share the holiday cheer throughout the event. Donna recalls the stunning show they experienced on last year’s tour. “One of the homes featured over 2500 Christmas ornaments, and each room had a themed tree,” she says. “Every shelf and light fixture in the house had some kind of garland or decoration of interest. It was incredible.”

As a volunteer-based nonprofit, Friends of Canby Public Library holds events throughout the year to fund library programming for all ages, and the group pledged $30,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The Book Garden Store located in the library is a consistent revenue generator and accepts gently used books and other media for resale. Along with a nine-year partnership with Retro Revival Vintage, the Friends are excited to announce a collaboration with the Canby Beer Library, which includes the addition of a Book Garden to its new space. “The brewery is located in the old public library, so the owner wants to keep that connection to the community,” Bookstore Manager Patti McAlpin explains.

Patti keeps the shelves stocked with reads for all ages, typically priced between $2 and $5, and Oregon City Brewing gives 100% of the book sale proceeds back to the library. Find the new Book Garden in the Beer Library, across from a fascinating display of library artifacts discovered during the recent renovations.

For more about Friends of Canby Public Library, visit canbyoregon.gov/library/page/friends-canby-library