Homes for the Holidays

Some of the best holiday decorating tips come from seeing how others adorn their homes. And after years of putting up those same twinkling lights and hanging the now-dusty wreath, the house could use a seasonal make-over.

Consider taking the time to schedule in a holiday home tour. There are two this weekend that, along with several other holiday events, offer opportunities to wallow in seasonal splendor.

For those interested in learning to use bows and bells and other crafts to create a particular style, look no further than the Turn of the Century Holiday Home Tour this Sunday in Simi Valley.

Hosted by the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center Foundation, the guided holiday home tour runs from 1 to 6 p.m.

A first-time event for the foundation, it will feature five homes decorated to the hilt.

Without giving too much away, the tour includes a Tudor-style house built in 1922, as well as a ranch home with horses.

There will decorations for both Hanukkah and Christmas.

One of the tour’s highlights will be a Spanish-style abode built in 1932, which sits high on a hill with spectacular views of Simi Valley, said event spokeswoman Vicky Howard.

At this tour stop there will be a boutique where gifts and decorations can be purchased.

Tickets for the tour are $12, and the proceeds benefit the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center and Foundation.

Tickets can be purchased at Simi Valley City Hall at 2929 Tapo Canyon Road today and Friday, and at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center at 3050 Los Angeles Ave. through 6 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets can also be purchased through Saturday at Cobble Creek, a store in the Albertson’s Shopping Center at the corner of Stearns and Los Angeles avenues.

If the tour does not sell out, tickets will also be available Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center.

The tickets include the addresses of the homes and a map.

At each stop, foundation docents will be on hand to talk about the homes and answer questions. Refreshments will be served at each stop.

For details, call Howard at 583-1018 or Eileen Strayer at 582-2484.

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Also in Simi Valley this weekend, Santa will visit the Strathearn Historical Park and Museum on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at 137 Strathearn Place.

During his visit, which coincides with an afternoon of park tours, a book-signing and complimentary refreshments, children can have their pictures taken with Santa.

During the same hours, Simi Valley Historical Society members and authors Pat Havens and Bill Appleton will sign copies of their book, “Simi Valley: A Journey Through Time,” an account of the city’s rich history.

From 1 to 4 p.m. visitors can also tour the 200-year-old El Rancho Simi adobe, the 100-year-old Strathearn family home and many other sights at the park. Admission to the park and museum is free. Call 526-6453 for details.

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For those interested in a big hit of history on a home tour, check out the sixth annual Victorian Christmas House Tours in Oxnard this weekend.

Hosted by the Friends of Heritage Square, the guided tour includes five historic homes built between 1887 and 1912. The sites are where Oxnard’s early pioneers lived, according to Gary Blum, the event coordinator.

Tours run Saturday and Sunday every 15 minutes between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., starting at Heritage Square at 715 South A St.

Costumed docents will greet visitors and share the history of each home’s original family and architectural styles. The tour takes about an hour.

Exhibits of dollhouses, antique dolls and model trains will be included, as well as history reenactments by volunteers of “A Christmas Visit in Ventura County 1905.”

The tour is $8, which includes refreshments. Proceeds benefit the Friends of Heritage Square and the group’s educational programs. For $18, people can go on the tour and attend a Sunday 2 p.m. matinee of the Elite Theater Company’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”

For information and play reservations, call 483-7960.

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For those who missed a similar show in Ventura last weekend or just want to catch another glimpse of floating holiday cheer, the 34th annual Channel Islands Harbor Parade of Lights, a procession of decorated boats, is Saturday at 7 p.m. in Oxnard.

The theme for this year’s event is “Memories of the Millennium.” For details, call 985-4852.

On Sunday, the fifth annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farmers’ Market, on the harbor side of the channel near Harbor Landing at 2810 S. Harbor Blvd.

The show, hosted by the nonprofit Farmers’ Market, is open to the public for participation. Registration for the event starts at 10 a.m., and judging will begin at noon. There is no charge to enter the show or to view the arts and crafts.

“This event is to bring people out to the harbor to showcase not only the fall harvest but the beautiful harbor we have and want to share with everyone,” said event spokesman Mark Rochin.

Call Rochin at 652-2089 for details.

Ideas for Jaunts can be submitted to holly.wolcott@latimes.com.