Junior League Hosts House Tour & Boutique

Five Montclair homeowners will swing open their doors on Sunday, May 19 for the Junior League of Montclair-Newark’s House Tour & Boutique.

Included in the tour is an 1885 Colonial Revival featuring a 50-foot-long porch overlooking an English garden, a restored 1771 historic farmhouse with many green features and a Craftsman-style estate with a California mission mantle. 

Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the many programs and projects of the Junior League of Montclair-Newark (JLMN), which help more than 5,000 local at-risk children each year.

The self-guided tours begin at 11 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Throughout the day, local shops will set up mini-boutiques at the check-in location, Van Vleck House and Gardens, 21 Van Vleck St. There will be gift ideas for Father’s Day, graduation, weddings and more, as well as an “Attic Treasures Estate Sale” area featuring vintage items.

There will also be a Brunch and Browse event from 10 to 11 a.m. where attendees can eat, shop and mingle before heading off on the self-guided tour.

Jessica Lane, President of the Junior League of Montclair-Newark, Inc., said the fundraiser is a spin-off of the designer showhouses the organization has run in the past.

“This year we saw an opportunity to return to that heritage and highlight this area's residential beauty with a fun, community-oriented house tour, boutique and supply drive," Lane said in a release. "We're hoping for a terrific turn out since this fundraiser is critical for the vital organizations with whom we partner, and for the individuals we serve." 

Admission for the house tour is $40 in advance, $45 at the door. The Brunch and Browse costs an additional $35. There is a $5 charge for access to the boutique only. Tickets are available at www.jlmnhousetour.com.

Two Ways to Give Back

• One will be the Transitions for Youth Summer Housing Internship Program (SHIP), one which supports young people who, placed in foster care as minors, have overcome great obstacles to go to college. Participants are in need of assistance in obtaining food and basic household supplies between semesters during the summer.  

• The second drive is for the kindergarten teachers' supply closet at Watsessing Elementary School in Bloomfield. Donations of the following items will be accepted: markers, paint and paint brushes, dry erase boards, other art supplies or school supplies in general, toothpaste, deodorant, laundry detergent, peanut butter, cans of soup, mac and cheese, pasta, beans, cereal rice, pens, pencils, highlighters and notebooks. For a full list of items, visit www.jlmn.org.