2015
By Judi Bowers
S
outhern California is
known for sunny skies and
an almost perfect climate.
A hidden gem, nestled
on a mountaintop just outside the
hustle and bustle of the big city, is a
place in SoCal where seasons change
and it’s noticed. Big Bear is a fourseason community at 6,700 feet, and
the best place to celebrate fall in
Southern California.
Soroptimist International of Big Bear Valley, Inc.
celebrates the best of the changing seasons with its
Hearth and Home Tour set for Saturday, Oct. 3. It’s
a chance to peek inside four mountaintop homes
decked out for fall and the holidays.
SIBBV, a nonprofit service organization, has hosted
the home tour for 35 years. This year the tour adds
a new twist. Instead of being held in late June, the
tour has moved to October to celebrate autumn as
only Big Bear can. Guests can tour homes by day,
and enjoy Oktoberfest in the evening. And those who
enjoy high-altitude exercise can participate in the
North Shore Half Marathon before the Hearth and
Home Tour.
The four homes will embrace the seasons, decorated
in fall colors, for Thanksgiving, Halloween and even
an early Christmas. Guests will enjoy the sights and
smells, yes smells, of the season. The scent of apple
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Guests will be made to feel at home as they
wander through, maybe gathering decorating
ideas to consider for their own homes.
pie, cinnamon, pumpkin, maybe even a Thanksgiving
turkey will greet guests as they arrive at the homes on
the tour. They take a guided walk through each home
as SIBBV hostesses point out the highlights. Guests
will be made to feel at home as they wander through,
maybe gathering decorating ideas to consider for
their own homes.
Each of the four homes featured on the Hearth and
Home Tour is unique. Decorating styles, construction
styles, size and landscaping create a distinctive Big
Bear abode. Guests will learn the history behind the
homes, who designed and built the home, the decorator and the homeowner’s special touches.
New this year, SIBBV will have apple pies available for
purchase, boxed for guests at each location, so you
can take home a sample of the season. And guests
can enjoy cider and special treats such as pumpkin
bread while waiting to enter the homes. The cider and
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treats are compliments of SIBBV.
Soroptimist International of Big Bear Valley’s new
cookbook, Taste of Big Bear, will also be available for
purchase at each home. Recipes from SIBBV members, former members and Big Bear residents fill the
pages and beg you to try the scrumptious dishes.
The Hearth and Home Tour is a fundraiser for SIBBV,
which supports a number of causes related to the betterment of women and children in Big Bear and beyond.
Tickets are $25 per person, no children. Tour hours
are 9 am to 3 pm and tour locations are found inside
the ticket booklet. Tickets are available the first week of
September. Visit www.siofbigbearvalley.org for tickets
and more information.
Guests should prepare to be wowed by the abundance
of fall in Big Bear. Expect sunny skies with a nip in the
air. A light sweater or jacket is advised.