ThisWeek CW 06/27/2013
The second annual Groveport Home and Garden Tour returns June 29 with several new locations and a couple of favorites from last year.
The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 29, and is sponsored by the Groveport Heritage and Preservation Society, Groveport Garden Club and Groveport Town Hall.
Tickets are available now at Town Hall and will be available during the tour for $5 per person; children age 4 and younger will be admitted at no charge.
Tickets will be available at the homes as well but Community Affairs Director Linda Haley said tour organizers would prefer ticket sales go through Town Hall, which also has the ability to accept credit cards.
“A couple of our homes from last year drew so much interest that we’ve kept them on for this year again, bringing back the two Rarey homes by popular demand,” Haley said. “We were really impressed by the turnout last year. We’re expecting between 200 and 400 people this year.”
Haley said the tour was such a hit last year because it appeals to diverse groups and she thinks that will hold true this year as well.
“Really, this appeals to anyone who has an interest in interior decorating, history and historical buildings as well as gardeners and garden buffs,” Haley said. “In fact, we have a wide variety of gardens being featured, from formal to container to more natural landscapes.”
Of the 10 tour stops, only three — the Williams family garden, the Joe and Mariann Stewart garden and the Dan and Carole Knode garden — will require driving. The seven other tour stops are within the boundaries of Groveport’s historic downtown and are a short walk from Town Hall.
“The homeowners will do the tours at the stop, while Jim and Irene Barnett, who currently own the Groveport Bank, will provide tours there,” Haley said. “Town Hall will be open for tours as well and currently, we have the Smithsonian Institute ‘Journey Stories’ exhibit and Marty Laney’s ‘National Treasures’ photography exhibit on display, as well as a special Groveport Garden Club exhibit hosted by club members.”
Town Hall is ADA-accessible but the other stops might not be because they are primarily private residences, Haley said.
The tour will be presented rain or shine.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to once again showcase the best of Groveport for visitors from throughout central Ohio,” Haley said.
The stops on the Groveport Home and Garden Tour are:
* Groveport Town Hall, 648 Main St.
* Doris and Bill Cox home, 628 Main St. (original Rarey home)
* Groveport Bank, 235 Front St.
* Steven and Donna Thomson home, 230 Front St. (later Rarey home)
* Don and Judy Laird garden, 216 Front St.
* Sue and Mark Springer home, 176 Front St.
* Sondra Crayton garden, 282 Walnut St.
* Williams family garden, 448 Voyager Drive.
* Joe and Mariann Stewart garden, 451 Shadow Run Drive.
* Dan and Carole Knode garden, 261 Harbinger Drive.