On Saturday, the Parade of Homes returned to Malad.  The event served as a fundraiser for the Iron Door Playhouse, and gave residents a chance to see some of their neighbors’ homes opened up for the holidays.

Five homes were featured in the parade, as well as the Library and Pioneer Museum.  

Chris and Sarah Showell of 790 N 500 W.  The couple moved in last year, and they are still settling into their property, which has wonderful views of the north end of the valley.  “I’m pretty spoiled—I like it all!”  Sarah said, when asked about her favorite thing about the home.

Garen and Kathleen Atkinson of 1820 N 500 W live just up the road from the Showells.  Their home is outfitted with a kitchenette and suite in the basement, which is perfect for entertaining the whole family during the holidays.   “We usually fill it up for the Fourth of July.  I like it when it’s full,” Kathleen said.  “We usually have every bed full.  We even have to pull out the murphy bed!”  The murphy bed is hidden in a wall alcove upstairs, and folds down into an extra bed.  One fun feature of the basement area is a kid-sized room that serves as a fort for the grandkids. 

Kyle and Nicole Daniels of 1855 N 500 W have been in their home for three years.  The house was constructed by HBC Hess Building, and sits on 17 lovely acres across the road from the Atkinsons. Speaking of the Atkinsons, Nicole says “We love the neighbors, the area and the mountains.  It was our dream to live back in Malad, and this is our dream property!”  Kyle and Nicole both have very busy schedules, but love returning back to their home after the day’s work is done and being together as a family.  “We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and outside,” Nicole says.  “This place is perfect for us.”

Further north on the summit is the home of Cristine Williams Giles and Paul Giles, on 650 E 11400 N.  Cristine explains that her vision was a house that “brought the outside inside.”  The house is designed to the contours of the surrounding area, and is filled with natural materials and organic architectural designs.  Cristine explained that her Christmas tree is decorated with the creations of the grandkids, as well as natural material such as local sticks and branches placed into the tree.  Windows are also a big feature.  “She had it built with windows, windows, windows!” Paul says.  Like the Atkinsons, there is a “secret” room set aside for smaller visitors, this one in a loft above the upstairs bedroom.  “We love it,” Paul says.  “They say there are two ways to get to heaven—one is just to live the right way.  The other is to move here to the valley.”

Brett Evanson’s home is also on the summit, just south of the Giles.  He and his daughtrs have been in the home for about three months.  With a high ceiling central room and natural wood interiors, the house is a perfectly reflective of the summit environment.  A home theatre room for game night, gym, and other amenities are all impressive, but the girls are clear that their favorite parts are their rooms.  One of the rooms has unique hanging chairs that are part of the cozy and creative design aesthetic.

The Oneida County Library was also open for the Parade, and featured a display of a Christmas village train set from Mary Ellen Knudson.  The table will be on display at the library throughout the holidays.  The library also displayed its afterschool program activity kits, which are the result of a recent grant.

The Pioneer Museum opened its doors as well, providing a warm stop and cookies after a long afternoon spending time inside the welcoming doors of Oneida County’s residents.