As if the historic houses in downtown Phoenix’s F.Q. Story District aren’t charming enough, the holidays make them even more so, particularly during the annual Home Tour and Holiday Street Fair & Marketplace. In its 32nd year, the home tour is a local favorite for ringing in the holidays the first weekend in December in a way that is completely unique to this delightful urban neighborhood.
For two days, December 3rd and 4th, visitors may pass through 10 historic homes along one street in the F.Q. Story District as part of the self-guided holiday-themed tour. If you love holiday lights, plan to visit Saturday night when luminarias line the sidewalks, string lights twinkle in the dark and carolers sing holiday classics. On Sunday, experience the tour in the daytime while the street is blocked off to host a street fair featuring a variety of food & gift vendors. If you’re a holiday cookie lover, look for the “cookie house” where neighborhood bakers sell their holiday treats.
Roaming the sidewalks and street fair is free, but to tour the homes you must purchase a ticket for $15. With a nonperishable food donation, you’ll receive $1 off your admission. The proceeds from the tour fund activities and expenses such as neighborhood upkeep and community events within the F.Q. Story District. On the day of the tour, tickets can be purchased at 9th Avenue and Lynwood Street. You may also purchase them online.
The homeowners open their homes to share the history, beauty and architecture unique to each house while enjoying the holiday atmosphere. Ticket holders are given a booklet containing information about the neighborhood as well as each house and where it is located on the tour. A host greets visitors at the front door and welcomes them inside to proceed through the home at their leisure.
The F.Q. Story Historic Neighborhood was named after the prestigous land-owner of the area in the 1900’s – Francis Quarles Story. The district boundary runs from McDowell Rd. south to Roosevelt St. and from Seventh Ave. west to Grand Ave. The Neighborhood consists of 602 homes that were constructed from the late 1920s through the late 1940s. A variety of architectural styles are featured, including Spanish Colonial Revival, English Tudor, Craftsman bungalows and Transitional Ranch.
The tour organizers are also seeking volunteers. For more information, visit the F.Q. Story Historic District Home Tour website.