The 35th annual Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association (MKNA) Home & Garden Tour is scheduled for the weekend of June 21-22, 2008, from Noon until 5 p.m. Locations of these historical homes range from 3900 North Delaware Street to 5800 Washington Boulevard. Angie's List, Citizens Gas and radio station 92.3 WTTS are event sponsors.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 at the National Bank of Indianapolis (4930 N. Pennsylvania), G Thrapp Jewelers (5609 N. Illinois Street), Taste Café (5164 N. College Avenue), Chase Bank (5635 N. Illinois Street) and Century 21 Scheetz (643 Massachusetts Avenue). Tickets are available at the door of any residence during the tour for $15.

"There will be ten homes and gardens on the tour. The homes range from a Meridian Street marvel to a Beverly bungalow. This year's tour is really diverse and unique. We're definitely highlighting some of the other homes and other styles in the area. They're all different. People like to see the décors of each house and see the diversity of a home that has looks like the 1920s outside and is more contemporary inside. Fifty percent of tour goers live in our neighborhood and 50 percent do not," explained MNKA Home & Garden Tour Chairwoman Jessica Albaugh. She is in her second year serving in this capacity.

"Friday, June 20 is our Twilight Tour - it's a kickoff party for our neighborhood and the surrounding area from 6 p.m. to midnight on East 48th Street between Washington Boulevard and Pennsylvania Street. Space is limited, so book your tickets in advance. The food is provided by MPB catering and under a large tent we will have entertainment by the Fabulous Imports. Three nearby homes and a garden tour are included in this portion of the event," Albaugh said. This year's tour theme is A Walk on the Wild Side. Mailed reservations should be sent by Thursday, June 12 or dropped off by Saturday, June 14th.

Twilight Tour individual tickets are $50 or $400 for a table of eight. Ticket reservations can be made by contacting Kelly Colby at 536-5764 or the Home Tour Hotline Number at 283-1021.

A silent auction will be hosted by Brad Anspaugh during the Twilight Tour. Items up for bid will include jewelry and possibly a weekend at a condominium, with more to be announced. Proceeds from the auction provide MKNA grant money for their youth, senior and service organizations. This includes summer camps, library reading programs, fitness and sports programs, essential equipment, senior training programs, health and mentoring needs and neighborhood beautification. Donations of items can be mailed to or dropped off by Friday, June 13 with a completed Silent Auction Form to: MKNA Silent Auction (located at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church) at 526 East 52nd Street. All donor names will be listed in the Home Tour Program, on the MKNA website and in MKNA's July/August Newsletter.

In recent years, grants have been extended to Kaleidoscope, Indianapolis Marion County Public Library on College Avenue Library, Girls, Inc. and IPS 70 and 91.

Valentino's Caffé will offer have an Espresso Bar and Specialty Frozen Beverages located at 5265 N. Meridian Street, (O'Brien tour home) on the Day Tour. Valentino's also sells fresh deli sandwiches/wraps, fruit cups and gourmet cookies.

Pianist David Graf will play music at a twilight masquerade party in the home of Donna Eide and Frank Alan at 320 East 47th Street. A lifelong performer and teacher, Graf specializes in music from the 1920s through the 1940s, especially songs of the Broadway genre.

MKNA 2008 Home Tour artists are Lowell Hildebrandt and Peng Wu. Hildebrandt studied film and video at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. He moved to Los Angeles where he was a storyboard and sketch artist. He was also a production designer for music videos and commercial spots. Hildebrandt currently attends the Herron School of Art and Design where he studies printmaking and illustration.

Wu graduated from the Herron School of Art and Design with a bachelor's degree in Fine Art and a minor in Illustration. He has produced illustrations for various companies as well as cover art, art for children's books and caricatures. His goal is to pursue a Master's Degree in Fine Arts while teaching art at the college level.

Those interested in Lowell's and Peng's work may contact them at 946-6650 or 531-4827, respectively or by email at cholerymorbilus@hotmail.com or penwu@aol.com. MKNA's June newsletter provided their background information.

Volunteers are needed to work as guides or hosts/hostesses during the tour. They are asked to work a two and one half hour minimum shift on Saturday or Sunday.

MKNA Home & Garden Tour patrons are Faerber Bee Window, Inc., Landscape Company of Indianapolis, Oxford Shop and Steve Sears Building Company. Event promoters include Antiques of Indianapolis, Colby Equipment Company, Flanner & Buchanan, Hoosier Tools, Mama Carolla's, Reese Kitchens, Riviera Club, Secret Ingredient, Somerville Team and Sullivan Hardware.

Since being established in 1965, MKNA has been one of Indianapolis' premiere neighborhoods. According to their website, "the purpose of the association was and is to bring about a closer relationship between all people, welcome new residents and business, monitor zoning and guard against illegal conversion of single-family housing, maintain quality schools in the area and provide adequate municipal services for all residents."

The area features a diversity of historic properties from mansions to bungalows and cottages. MKNA's home and garden tour was created in the 1970s to promote the neighborhood's history and unique architecture. MKNA uses these tour proceeds today to fund projects like street lighting, new schools, public safety partnerships and revitalization projects. MKNA's boundaries are Kessler Boulevard to the north, 38th Street on the south, Meridian Street on the west and the Monon Trail to the east.

MKNA also established Indiana's first curbside recycling program. They are an active participant with a consortium of six youth-serving agencies, the Meridian-Kessler Development Corp., North District Task Force, Maple Road Coalition and a member of MCANA, the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations. Meridian-Kessler is a great place to visit historic residences and to call home.