The Alameda Family Services League will present “49 years of Holiday Magic,” the 49th edition of the annual self-guided Holiday Home Tour this Saturday, Dec. 14. The tour will feature five historic Alameda homes mixing festive holiday décor and Island lore. 

Proceeds from the annual fundraiser benefit Alameda Family Services, a nonprofit provider of programs to improve the emotional, psychological and physical health of children, youth and families. 

The 2019 tour features:

• An 1889 home filled with historic photos, Victorian and Tiki collectibles and an unforgettable taxidermy collection.  
• A “wedding cottage” built in 1893 for prominent businessman Joseph Knowland as a gift for his newly married daughter. The current owners spend weeks decorating each room to create a Victorian Christmas.  
• A Queen Anne cottage remarkable for the number of original features from its 1893 construction. Its revival celebrates one family’s commitment to restore the long-neglected house to its former glory.
• A stately Victorian once advertised as having 13 bedrooms; today there are nine bedrooms and five bathrooms plus and a dining room table set for holiday dinner.
• A Mid-century Modern home set among redwoods built in 1962 on the former site of the 1899 Colonial Revival home of prominent Alameda shipbuilder Captain Walter G. Tibbitts which burned. The former home once served as a meeting spot for Alameda women pushing for suffrage. 

Guests will receive booklets describing the self-guided tour when redeeming tickets on Dec. 14, starting at 9 a.m.  at Alameda Elks Lodge, 2255 Santa Clara Ave. Guests and the public may shop at the Gift Boutique and Gourmet Shop at the Elks Lodge and participate in a Texas-Style raffle – all in support of Alameda Family Services.

Homes open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Docents at each house will provide additional information about home features. 

A holiday tea will be served at the First Presbyterian Church, 2001 Santa Clara Ave., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

For more information and to purchase advance tickets online for $40, visit Alameda Holiday Home Tour at http://alamedaholidayhometour.com. Advance tickets also can be purchased at Alameda Family Services at 2325 Clement Ave. Tickets on the day of the tour are $45.