By Deanna Fene
First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The first Symphony Showhouse was in 1972. Virginia Atter Keys, a former News Anchor with Channel 12, was the host for a video tour and showed the home in Avondale decorated by local designers.
Ward Lariscy was one of the original designers. He says, "The city's grown tremendously and so have the designers. It was hard to pull together enough designers to do that first house."
Now more than 30 years later the popular annual fundraiser for the Jacksonville Symphony continues this year, not at a home, but at the VillaRiva in Avondale.
Gloria Wells is the Symphony Showhouse Chair. "The community loves it because this is our 30th year anniversary and they keep coming back and hopefully we can find the proper venues so we can continue to do the showhouse.
Lariscy says while many things have changed since the first showhouse, other things have stayed the same. "Everything goes in cycles. Things we are doing now, I was doing 30 years ago."
30 local designers worked on this year's event which raises money for the symphony and music education.
They Symphony Showhouse will continue through the end of the month. Tickets range from $12 to $20.
First Coast News