Elizabeth Orosco
Northeast News

Pendleton Heights annual Homes Tour and Artist Market will be held Saturday, December 1st from 12pm to 5pm. The tour will feature six historic homes centered around the Community Orchard at the intersection of Lexington and Montgall. Participants will have a chance to view the inside of the homes, eat from a selection of food trucks, and purchase new pieces of art from the Artist Market.

This is the twelfth year of the Homes Tour, and it has grown into a much-anticipated event for local residents as historic homes open their doors to the public.

Pendleton Heights is a historic piece of Kansas City, the second residential-designed neighborhood and first developed suburb in the late nineteenth century. Nestled in the Northeast, it overlooks the East Bottoms, the Missouri River, and holds the largest collection of true Victorian homes in the city.

It is home to three city parks, a nationally-listed urban scenic byway, and Kansas City’s oldest boulevard. In 2013, Pendleton Heights was featured by This Old House as one of their “Best Old House Neighborhoods.”

This year, the six homes on tour are 2607 Lexington, 400 Montgall, 402 Montgall, 425 Montgall, 444 Montgall, and 513 Montgall.

Jessica Ray, member of the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association and the Event Chair for the Holiday Homes Tour and Artist Market, said these homes have been completely transformed, and she is excited for participants to see the renovations.

“All of these homes were in really rough shape, so you’re going to see a lot of historic exterior but creative things on the inside to modernize, especially where there wasn’t a lot of historic detail left after many years of vacancy and decline,” she said. “You’re going to see a lot of modern touches and just what a home can come back from… all of them deserve to be saved if they could.”

Ray said with the help of Legal Aid, these homes can give vision to anyone considering renovating an old home that was not well cared-for.

“They are over 100 years old and have survived a lot… they are houses that have been brought back from severe neglect. This is an opportunity to see what can be, from what was really rough beginnings, so I think it will be inspirational for that reason.”

An Artist Market will also be open during the tour. The artist market will be held at 555 Olive, (the Northeast Community Center) and will showcase work from local artists in the Northeast. No tickets are necessary to attend the Artist Market.

Food trucks will be also be available for participants, and will be located at the Community Orchard at the intersection of Lexington and Montgall. This year, Greg Co. Foods and CoffeeCakeKC will be in attendance, serving an array of bbq, nachos, mac and cheese, coffee, tea, and other sweet treats.

For anyone interested in participating in the tour, tickets can be purchased at pendletonheights.org or by calling 816-875-0162. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.  All proceeds benefit Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association.