A Cascia Christmas
In celebration of its 85th anniversary, Cascia Hall Preparatory School decks its halls for its annual Christmas tour.
Elizabeth Wallis of Petal Pushers will deck the monastery halls with bold white flowers and accents of golds and reds. After entering through the monastery vestibule, pictured here, guests will have the chance to see the formal living area, complete with a Christmas tree, floral arrangements and fresh garland along the fireplace mantel, before exiting to the back patio.
This year’s Cascia Christmas Walk features a home that piques the interest of many, yet most have never entered — the Cascia Hall Monastery. Because it is home to the brothers and priests of the Augustinian community, many have never crossed the monastery’s threshold, including students and alumni.
“People are intrigued by the monastery,” says Heather Duncan, Cascia Hall’s director of school advancement.
As a way of saying thank you to the Tulsa community, Cascia Hall is opening its doors for the 28th annual Cascia Christmas Walk Dec. 5.
The monastery, St. Rita Chapel and the Scianna Performing Arts Center will make up the campus tour. Much like the traditional Cascia Christmas Walk home tours, local florists will decorate each area for the season.
“By letting our guests tour those three facilities, we kind of feel like it’s opening up our home, and that’s why we chose the theme ‘Coming Home for Christmas,’” Duncan says.
Prior to the event festivities, former headmaster Fr. Bernie Scianna will lead mass in St. Rita Chapel at 10:30 a.m.
The chapel is the first stop on the tour and will be decorated for the season by Toni Garner of Toni’s Flowers. With garlands and floral accents and arrangements, the altar will also hold its traditional Nativity scene.
Guests will then visit the monastery, where decorations by Elizabeth Wallis of Petal Pushers will adorn the entryway and living room.
The fireplace in the living room will serve as a focal point, providing guests with inspiration and decorating ideas for their own homes.
The Scianna Performing Arts Center (PAC) will be abuzz with choral singers, handbell choir performances and visits with Santa Claus. A collection of Tulsa florists will create the decorations.
In addition to the tour, guests will find an expanded Cascia Boutique, with more booths and vendors than previous years.
As many as 80 vendors will be in attendance, offering everything from holiday decorations and handmade jewelry to food items, such as soups and dips, to clothing and art by local artists, boutique chair Kelly Wilhelm says. At the event, guests can also pick up nine different varieties of Christmas Kringles, a traditional oval-shaped pastry.
New this year is the Cascia Winter Wonderland gift shop, hosted by the Cascia Christmas Walk committee. Exclusive Cascia gifts, such as the 85th anniversary ornament, commemorative campus art, holiday decorations and fresh garlands, wreaths and poinsettias, will be available for sale, with all proceeds benefiting the school.
Hebert’s will cater the Cascia Café, featuring white chili — a Cascia Christmas Walk tradition — and other treats.
Following the festivities, at 5 p.m., students will give a special performance of the winter all-school musical, “Miracle on 34th Street,” in the Scianna PAC.
Duncan says the traditional home tour will return in 2011 for the 29th annual Cascia Christmas Walk.
She says the Cascia Christmas Walk has "become a part of everyone’s Christmas tradition, so we just want to thank people for supporting this event for so many years."
What: Cascia Christmas Walk
When: Noon-4:30 p.m., Dec. 5
Where: Cascia Hall Preparatory School, 2520 S. Yorktown Ave.
Cost: Free
Parking: Valet service available.
For more information, call 918-746-2600.
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