Toast your mother with a spring tour of Bibler Home and Gardens Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8, with a champagne brunch as the tours kick off the 2011 season on Mother’s Day.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., tour the privately owned and maintained Bibler home with Persian rug expert James Opie while browsing the first-ever viewing of the completed Tribal Rug display. Tickets for the two champagne brunch events are $75 per person and reservations are required.
Tours continue the weekend of Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15, with 90-minute tours at 10 a.m. and noon each day – $10 for adults and $3 for children. Also, a 2 p.m. tour each day for $20 will include the Persian Tribal Rug display along with the home and gardens. Call first for reservations.
Bibler is a private display garden designed by Louis A. “Sam” Bibler who planted and maintained the grounds surrounding his home with impressive landscaping that includes ponds, waterfalls, sculptures, a long stable with miniature animals and acres of colorful annuals and perennials overlooking Foys Lake.
During the home tours, browse Bibler’s exquisite collection of Inuit tribal art and 18th and 19th century furnishings along with Persian carpets in both palace and tribal styles.
All proceeds from the tours go to benefit the Student Scholarship Program at Flathead Valley Community College. Summer home and garden tours will be July 26-29 with a special kick-off reception July 25. Reservations are required so call ahead.
How to get there: From downtown Kalispell take U.S. Highway 2 (West Idaho Street) west toward Kila. Turn south on North Meridian Road. Continue on Meridian, which becomes Foys Lake Road after a curve to the west. Turn west on Lakeshore Drive. Continue on Lakeshore up the hill until it dead ends at Lake Hills Drive. Turn right on Lake Hills Drive to access the Bibler property.