The Lincoln County Master Gardeners will host Saturday’s SpringGarden Extravaganza as scheduled, but the last weekend in Aprilwill be without the traditional Tour of Homes.

The extravaganza will be held 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday inRailroad Park near the chamber of commerce. More than 20 vendorsare expected to be on hand, said Velma Estess, eventchairwoman.

“We have everything from nursery plant, Mexican pottery,vegetables and herbs to a lot of other garden accessories,” Estesssaid.

Estess said Perry Brumfield and other extension servicerepresentatives will be on hand to offer assistance and to providetips on gardens and problems.

A springtime Tour of Homes, however, has ended after a run ofmore than 15 years, said Rita Rich, chairwoman of the event. Richcited increasing difficulties in lining up homes for the tour.

“We have a lot of lovely homes, but people have to be willing toopen them,” Rich said.

Rich said many out-of-town visitors had come to expect the touron the last weekend in April. She said many have been sent noticesthat the tour would not be held.

Instead, Rich said, the chamber will be able to grant repeatedrequests for a tour at another time of the year.

“We’ll have a Christmas Tour of Homes,” Rich said, pointing outthe event is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Dec. 3. “It’ll be our firstever night tour.”

Rich said two homeowners, Beck and Angie Warren and Don andSally Doty, have volunteered to have their homes featured on thetour. Rich said other homes will be sought as the event getscloser.

“I want it to be great for our first year,” Rich said.

Also, Rich said the annual Christmas parade is scheduled forThursday, Dec. 1. She said a function to encourage shopping inBrookhaven likely would be scheduled for the Friday between theparade and the tour.

Rich said a theme for neither the parade nor the tour has beendetermined.

“We’ll be deciding shortly,” Rich said. “We’ll probably try totie the two together.”