This holiday season the Bethlehem Garden Club and it’s 25 dedicated members organized a cheerful Christmas House Tour throughout the City of Bethlehem. Six gorgeous homes were showcased during the December event.

The tour started at the Kemerer Museum, where tickets could be purchased and guests got their first taste of Christmas. Eleven trees, each inspired by a different piece of art at the museum, were all decorated by the Bethlehem Garden Club. Trees featured themes such as Bethlehem Steel, circus, abstract art, Bethlehem Star, and paperweights.

After taking in the beautifully decorated trees at the Kemerer, guests continued to each of the six homes on the tour. Each house had the help from multiple garden club members who volunteered to assist as guides in each home. Guides elaborated on the current decor and key pieces that made each house unique. Certain items included handmade quilts, paintings, and murals adding to each classy Christmas display.

One of the homes featured on the tour belonged to Angelika Cornelius, who was one of the lead members involved in the organizing and planning of this year’s Christmas House Tour. She noted this is the second house tour she’s worked on and while there’s a lot of planning and details, it’s ultimately a pleasure to be a part of. “The mission of this year’s tour was to restore funding for the scholarship program” said Cornelius. In years past, the Bethlehem Garden Club’s scholarship committee gave away scholarships to incoming college freshmen in majors involving environmental sciences, design, and horticulture. It was also noted by Bethlehem Garden Club President, Wendy-Webber Welsh, that the Christmas House Tour is their biggest fundraiser of the year.

The individual homeowners spend weeks in preparation for Christmas finding and putting up this year’s decorations. Each year their collections grow larger and more unique. The dedication and hard work put into events from organizations like the Bethlehem Garden Club help us reminded us why Bethlehem is known as the Christmas City.