Let me tell you about the 2nd Annual “Cottages of Lake Worth Home Tour”

Hard to believe but it’s true: There were only 30 no-shows yesterday, a cold and rainy day from the start. One of the most memorable comments of the day came from a woman who asked me how many tours there are every year of the cottages. I said, “Just one.” She seemed surprised and suggested there should be more throughout the year. Something to think about.

Planning for this year’s event began after last year’s highly successful event. In its first year “The Cottages” Home Tour Board decided to limit ticket sales to 300. The event sold out way before the event date and received rave reviews. That tour in January 2016 covered a large area north of the Downtown. We were able to attract a lot of people into the City from surrounding communities.

This year we turned our focus to the Bryant Park and South Palm Park neighborhoods. This area makes up the South Palm Park local historic district. A total of sixteen cottages participated in the tour. We increased the number of tickets to be sold to a maximum of 500 and still sold out well before the event! Check-in was at the east porch of the Gulfstream Hotel. Two Molly’s Trolleys ran a loop from the hotel to the southern-most cottage on the tour (around 9th Ave. South).

A rare day in Lake Worth, Florida: Rain and cold all day long. But it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm or interest for those attending the 2nd Annual Cottages Home Tour.

The rainy cold day didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the event at all. Of the 500 tickets sold there were only 30 “no shows.” I volunteered as a guide on one of the trolleys. People from all over Palm Beach County offered rave reviews of the event, the cottages, and the food as well along the way. There were many Lake Worth residents that took part, some having moved here recently, one or two years ago. They used the tour as a way to get to know the City and Downtown better.

There was one lady who identified herself as a 62 year resident of Lake Worth and she learned more about the City taking part in the tour. I took pleasure in some Delray Beach residents who expressed how much they wished their city still had the feel they experienced during their time in Lake Worth. The mention of Garlic Fest didn’t go over too well with those from Delray. But I digress. . .

It was also good to see a large group of people from Boynton Beach as well. Some of them attended my recent presentation to the Boynton Beach Historical Society on Jan. 16th.

The art displayed in and around the participating cottages also generated a lot of positive comments.

Chalk this one up as another “win” in Lake Worth’s column. I also found out yesterday we are down to 290 “Cottages of Lake Worth” books! Last I heard sixteen more books were sold yesterday during the tour. There are whispers of a second printing.

It’s hard not to get enthusiastic about our City’s future.

Thank You everyone who took the tour yesterday and to all the volunteers as well. And a Special Thank You to the stars who make this tour possible: Our Cottages of Lake Worth, the people who live in them, care about their significance and our shared history, who opened their cottage doors for everyone to admire.