Tickets are on sale for the 14th annual Get Healthy De Soto Holiday Home Tour set for 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25.
Tickets cost $15 each or two for $25. Each ticket comes with a booklet featuring a map and detailed information about each of the 10 stops on the tour.
Proceeds from the tour benefit Get Healthy De Soto, a nonprofit organization that encourages local residents to exercise, eat well and make other healthy decisions.
Karen Stringer, one of seven committee members who plan the annual event, said this year’s theme is De Soto Christmas Express, so each of the stops will have something related to trains. The tour includes stops at a church, two businesses, three homes, three villas and the Railroad Employees’ Memorial.
Stringer said the committee could not have a train-themed tour without featuring the Railroad Employees’ Memorial on Fountain City Road near Main Street.
Dedicated in 2008 to the men and women who have worked for the St. Louis Iron Mountain, Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads in De Soto, the memorial was built on property the city obtained from Union Pacific.
Randy Schulz, one of 12 members on the De Soto Railroad Employees’ Memorial Committee, said he is happy the memorial is included on this year’s tour.
He said the committee members are proud of the memorial and try to keep it in good shape.
Stringer said a couple of former railroad employees will be at the memorial throughout the tour to chat with people about the memorial and the history of the railroad town which had its first passenger train pass through in 1857.
In addition to the memorial, other stops on the home tour include the De Soto Christian Church, 4151 Fountain City Road; The Gathering Room, 116 N. Main St.; the Arlington Event Center, 207 E. Main St.; the Patsy and Norman Westhoff home, 200 S. Fourth St.; the Gersbacher home, 710 W. Miller St.; the Dawn and Kenny Westhoff home, 1070 Lovett St.; the Ribaudo home, 1509 Hickory Landing; the Franken Home, 1532 Hickory Landing; and the Schlett home, 1579 Hickory Landing.
The Christmas Market will be held at The Arlington featuring 18-20 vendors selling a variety of items, including homemade crafts and children’s books, Stringer said.
Entry is free for tour ticketholders or $2 for those without a tour ticket.
The Gathering Room will be selling raffle tickets for a decorated Christmas tree on display there and several Christmas baskets.
Stringer said the committee hopes to sell 375 holiday tour tickets this year.
Tickets are on sale at several places in De Soto: the First State Community Bank locations at 328 N. Main St. and at 1801 Old Boyd St.; De Soto Public Library, 712 S. Main; De Soto Chamber of Commerce, 47 Jefferson Square; Cherished Memories, 400 S. Main; and Drummond’s Florist, 12911 Hwy 21. Tickets also are available at Leader Publications, 503 N. Second St., in Festus. On the day of the tour, tickets will be on sale at The Gathering Room.
For more information, visit gethealthydesoto.org or contact Stringer at 314-541-5175 or Alex Mahn at 314-609-2939. Other committee members are Emily Scott, Kita Jones, Beckie Breier, Claire McCane and MaryAnn Hinch.
Since the tour falls on Small Business Saturday, the group hopes tour participants take a detour throughout the day to stop in restaurants and shops on De Soto Main Street.