Fall show homes and idea houses are open all around the area. Here are the details:
RENAISSANCE HOUSE: Last weekend to view the 11,000-square-foot charity showcase home at StillWater, on Lutz-Lake Fern Road in Odessa, built by Fechtel Co. Special attention given to energy and water saving. The house is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $7 at the door, cash only. Family First and the Bob Sierra YMCA Youth and Family Center benefit. Information: (813) 926-8899.
STREET OF DREAMS: Luxury home showcase at the Sanctuary at Lake Butler Sound in Windermere, a suburb of Orlando. When: through Nov. 16. Homes are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Tickets: Wednesdays through Fridays, adults, $10, seniors 65 and older and children 4 to 12, $8. On Saturdays and Sundays, tickets are $2 more. Children 3 and younger admitted free. Give Kids the World Village benefits. Information: www.streetofdreams.com or (407) 909-0110.
BOW WOW HAUS: Display of 16 doghouses designed by artists, architects, builders and contractors, viewable during business hours at Reeves Import Motor Cars, 11333 N Florida Ave., Tampa. Another 24 go on display Nov. 16 at the former Eckerd on Swann Avenue in Old Hyde Park Village, Tampa. Next May, the houses will be sold to benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
HOLIDAY TASTE AND TOUR: Twelve bed-and-breakfast inns - in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Pinellas Park, Gulfport and North Redington Beach - are decorated for the holidays, each with a tree based on one of the 12 days of Christmas. When: 3 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7. Tickets: $15 adults, $5 children. Call 727 742-5751 for where to buy, or visit www.spaabbi.com Local restaurants provide food and beverages at each house. Benefits the St. Petersburg Tennis Center's First Serve Grass Roots program, which offers after-school tutoring and tennis lessons for children.
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES: Sixth annual tour in this neighborhood from Fifth Avenue to 30th Avenue N and from Tampa Bay to Fourth Street, St. Petersburg. Eight homes will be on this year's tour. When: 3 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14. Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 on tour day; sales will begin in December.
COASTAL LIVING IDEA HOUSE: Showcase at the Colony Golf & Bay Club in Bonita Springs, between Naples and Fort Myers. The model is a high-rise condo with three bedrooms, 31/2 baths and two terraces in a tower called LaScala, overlooking Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. When: through Dec. 28. Home is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Tickets: $5; two schools benefit. Information: 239 495-1300. Virtual tour at www.coastalliving.com
