Great Things to Do in Western New York: Holiday Home Tours

Home tours allow us to get decor ideas and be in awe of some special homes, and this is especially true during the holidays. Here are five holiday home tours in the Buffalo/Niagara region that are helping out some good causes.

Rotary Holiday House Tour - Friday and Saturday, December 4th and 5th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 13 properties in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. The homes, museums, wineries, and art galleries are decorated by local businesses and garden clubs. Tickets are $25 (U.S. or Canadian funds) and are available at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club on Front St or by calling 905-351-3807; proceeds benefit projects around the world. *Don't forget the new rules for border crossings!*

Christmas in the Village Tour of Homes - Saturday and Sunday, December 5th and 6th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at six featured buildings along the Lower Niagara River in Lewiston. Professional designers and homeowners decorated five homes and the carriage house on the tour, which also features a dessert sampling reception at Barton Hill Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the self-guided tour are $25 (lewistonhomestour.com or 716-754-4214), and proceeds benefit the Historical Association of Lewiston.

Christmas Tour of Homes - Sunday, December 6th from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at seven homes in Hamburg and the Southtowns. Homes range from a 1832 village house to a 2008 Craftsman-style home to the restored Boies-Lord House Museum (pre-Civil War era). Tickets are $20 and available at Hamburg United Methodist Church, 116 Union St. or Lockwood's Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., both in Hamburg. Proceeds benefit the Church and Help America Foundation's ALS Hope 4 Mike.

Holiday House Tour - Saturday, December 12th from noon to 4 p.m. at five homes and St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Grand Island. There will also be a craft show in conjunction with the home show at Historic Trinity, 2100 Whitehaven Rd. Tickets are $12 pre-sale (until December 9th) at Pam's Gift Shop at the Grand Island Plaza or by calling 716-773-2421 or 716-773-7276; after December 9th, tickets are $15 and available at Historic Trinity. Proceeds go toward ongoing renovations and repairs at Historic Trinity.

Holiday Tour of Homes - Sunday, December 13th from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at eight homes throughout East Aurora. One of the stops is the Griggs Mansion, which has been featured on the NGTV show "If Walls Could Talk." Tickets are $25 and are available at the Roycroft Inn, 40S. Grove St. (716-652-5552), where the tour begins. Proceeds benefit Explore and More Children's Museum, the Elbert Hubbard-Roycroft Museum, the Toy Town Museum, and the Millard Fillmore House.