Fan Holiday House Tour will include a rare look inside Fox Elementary
Barbara and John Leonard sit on their couch while their terrier mix Skylar is curled in her bed nearby, ears perking at their voices from time to time. The couple has lived in the Fan District since 2016, and their house is now part of the Fan District Association's Holiday House Tour for the first time.
"We were having a renovation done and thought the house would look the best now," John Leonard said.
Volunteers will be stationed inside each home during the tour at the front door, living room and kitchen. They share the history of the house and stories about the homeowners.
The Fan District Association began hosting a ticketed historical holiday tour in 1962 to fund projects within the neighborhood and capitalize on people's fascination with the area's architectural charm. The first event six decades ago gathered 500 attendees who strolled through six homes and joined together afterwards for punch, according to Kimberly Vullo, the tour's co-chair.
A minimum of half of the proceeds are now funneled into a grant program that supports local initiatives. The organization distributed almost $40,000 in grants last year, the largest amount to date. Vullo estimated the group could raise roughly $68,000 in funds this year.
Nearly 1,600 people attended last year's event, and organizers had sold close to 700 tickets for this year's tour as of Nov. 23, according to Vullo. Tickets are $45 in advance or $60 on-site.
Fox Elementary will be included in this yearâs tour to allow non-students to see the renovations. This marks a rare opportunity, as it is unlikely to be featured on the tour again due to the complexity of obtaining permission from Richmond Public Schools, according to Vullo.
Grants given after the event typically range from about $500 to $5,000, according to Vullo. Last year, there were 10 grant recipients, including Fox.
Organizations can apply for grants from the Fan District Association from Jan. 15 to March 20, according to the association's website.
