Kitchens Tour fundraiser for Springfield Symphony women’s association coming April 25

Anybody with an appetite to get out in Springfield can look to the kitchen(s) this spring. The Women’s Association of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (WASSO) will be your host.

The 14th annual WASSO Kitchens Tour has a menu of five Springfield homes highlighting kitchens, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, April 25. The tour is a fundraiser with proceeds going toward various Symphony projects.

The Kitchens Tour makes its comeback after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. WASSO does three such tour fundraisers each year and it’s been nine months since its last. Donations help the Symphony keep going despite lack of concerts and other events that bring in revenue.

“We wanted so much for to be able to do it for the people from our community who enjoy it,” said Marcia Flax, WASSO president. “These homeowners are gracious and willing to have the tour.”

WASSO worked with the Clark County Combined Health District on safety guidelines. Attendees are required to wear masks; there will be hand sanitizer stations at each location; staff will monitor each home and ensure social distancing and limit the number of guests who can tour at a given time.

Three of the homes were originally scheduled for the 2020 tour. Stops will include:

-1440 North Fountain Blvd., home of Jerry and Jennifer Tritle. This modern kitchen is looked over by a picture of St. Lorenzo, patron saint of cooks. It includes granite counter tops and a large bay window, offering a view of the grounds containing gardens and 32 flowering bushes and trees.

-2127 N. Fountain Blvd., home of Nancy Ellen Haley. Visitors will find a brick fireplace, a hand-hewn beam, drop-in range, new lighting, continuous plate rack above the original cabinets and doors and a built-in shelving unit housing a collection of yellow ware bowls.

-1914 Appian Way, home of Chris and LaChrissa Davis. This eat-in kitchen boasts cherry wood floors in the entrance to the eat-in kitchen. There’s a mix of classic elements and modern such as granite countertops, a double oven, self-closing cabinets and walk-in pantry.

-4773 McCord Circle, home of Jan and Pat Van Gorder. This home reflects the owners’ love of rich wood in the rustic cherry cabinetry and birch flooring, including Jan’s own handiwork on furnishings, along with family antiques and quilts.

-2760 Kilkenny Drive, home of Sunny and Seema Dhingra. The Dhingras’ formal dining room is furnished with a burl and rare bird’s-eye maple dining table and credenza. The exotic wood carries into the kitchen with rounded corner cabinets and a center island topped with black granite and a professional cooktop and ample bar seating. The floors are a contrasting ceramic tile.

A map and more details about the tour are available on the Symphony’s website. The tour will go on rain or shine.

Tour tickets cost $15 each in advance and available from the Symphony office, Frame Haven, Katie’s Hallmark, Schneider’s Florist, Heart of Country, Nett’s Floral, Flower Craft, Homespun Blessings or from any WASSO member. Tickets will also be available at each stop the day of the tour for $20 each

“We hope people will come enjoy a Sunday out and support the Symphony and its youth programs,” Flax said.

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