The 21st Annual Christmas Open House at the Hormel Historic Home continues today and Monday.

Twelve professionals have decorated rooms for all to enjoy.

The open house hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is available at an additional cost and groups are welcome.

Tickets are $6 and all proceeds go to the non-profit organization benefiting the home listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

More than 100 guests visited the Hormel Historic Home by mid-day Friday, the opening day of the four-day Christmas Open House, according to Airline Bednar, one of the volunteers.

It was a case of being “home for the holidays with the Hormels.”

George A. and Lillian Hormel and their son, Jay Catherwood, once lived in the mansion at 208 Fourth Avenue Northwest.

According to Jane Rysavy, another volunteer, vendors spent the entire week prior to the Christmas Open House decorating rooms and other areas of the mansion.

The decorated areas include: Entryway by Bella Vista Interiors and Deb Benson, Albert Lea; Living Room, A Touch of Charm, Blooming Prairie and Younkers, Oak Park Mall; Kitchen/Butler’s Pantry, The Brick House; Atrium, Hy-Vee of Austin Floral Department; George Hormel’s Office, Twice is Nice; Library, Ben’s Floral and Frame Design, Albert Lea; Master Bedroom, Sterling Main Street and Solid Rock Photography’s Dustin DeBoer; Sitting Room, HHH volunteers and Mower County Historical Society; Guest Bedroom, Belles and Beaus and Creative Design and Kent Simonson; Jay C. Hormel’s Bedroom, Essential Life Spa’s Terri Bergstrom; Upstairs Bathroom, Stampi ‘ Up and Kelly Kleven; Left Upper Hallway, Addie’s Floral, Albert Lea; Right Upper Hallway, Sweetie Pie Confections’ Cindy Meany.

At each of the decorated rooms and other areas, the vendors offered discounts on their merchandise and services.

Outdoor decorating was done by the Hardy Geranium. Special furniture was donated by Brick Furniture. Anita Ulwelling and Becky Benchin supervised Carriage House volunteers.

Rysavy said the HHH volunteers were the key to the success of the Christmas Open House. “I value volunteerism” she said. “Some of the volunteers are volunteer guides who know so much about the history of the place.”

On Friday, the HHH volunteers greeted a contingent of Red Hat Ladies making a tour of Austin. That added to the excitement of the opening day.

The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau sent a group of tourists to see the Christmas Open House, too.

Over the four-day event, more than 60 volunteers participated in the Christmas Open House.

Ann Dixon, another HHH volunteer, said the visitors not only enjoyed the holiday trimmings, but learned about Hormel family history.

“There are a lot of people who live in Austin, who haven’t seen the inside of the Hormel home and this is one way to invite them to tour the place,” Dixon said.

Rysavy said it was hard to pick a favorite room or decorated area. “One is as beautiful or more beautiful than the other,” she said. “There is great competition among the vendors to outdo each other.”

Chuck Keller, a veteran of the CVB and a member of the HHH board of trustees, has participated in many Christmas Open House events.

“I like being a part of it,” the volunteer said.

Through the years, Keller has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the history of the home and the family patriarch, George A. Hormel, founder of the company that bears his name.

“I like the library,” Keller said, “because when the Hormels were living here the library was where they spent their nights.

“In those days, there was no television, so they would sit and read in front of the fireplace and talk with each other,” she said.

Of particular fascination to Keller is Jay C. Hormel’s bedroom.

“When he lived here he was a little boy and that was the time of the Lindbergh kidnapping, so they were concerned about his safety,” she said. “The windows were boarded up high so no passersby could see anybody in the room.”

Another only son influence in the home’s interior was to have light switches placed lower on walls so the boy could reach them.

Hormel history and holiday decorations make the Christmas Open House a “can’t miss” weekend attraction.

For more information, call the Hormel Historic Home at 433-4243.