Doors open at 9:15 a.m. on September 18 at Beverly Mansion at Grand Tradition Estate & Gardens in Fallbrook, where the Fallbrook Women's Connection is inviting everyone to a brunch that mixes music, inspiration, local history and shopping. The gathering runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the estate's address of 220 Grand Tradition Way, at South Mission Road near the Econo Lodge, and tickets cost $30 per person, cash or check only.
The brunch is sponsored by Stonecroft Ministries, a national non-denominational Christian organization that traces its roots to 1938, when founder Helen Duff Baugh established the group, according to MinistryWatch. The ministry's volunteer network sees an average of more than 1,100 women make a decision to follow Jesus each year, per the same source. That mission of welcoming women outside traditional church walls dates back to 1948, when missionary Mary E. Clark joined Baugh; meetings were held at country clubs. That history helps explain why the Fallbrook gathering unfolds in a mansion rather than a sanctuary.
As reported by Village News, the brunch will feature Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter Miss Lillie, who will share her singing and perform Christian music for attendees. Her credentials run deep: the station's report notes she won a 2007 Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year for “Past and Present” and has since been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, according to A to Z Entertainment. She previously performed with the Edwin Hawkins Singers on “O Happy Day” and appeared as a featured vocalist in the Gaither Homecoming series, the same source notes.
A Speaker's Life on the Road
Inspirational speaker Donna Krueger will present “Life on the Road: A Journey of Choices,” sharing her experiences traveling cross-country in a motor home along with lessons learned from life's twists and turns, per the Village News report. The brunch will also include a presentation on the estate's own history from Don McDougal, who owns Grand Tradition Estate & Gardens and will share information about current operations and future plans for the property.
McDougal's ties to Fallbrook run well beyond the estate. He is a Fallbrook High School graduate with more than 40 years of experience in the private business sector, and he sits as an elected director representing Subdistrict No. 4 on the Fallbrook Public Utility District's board, a term running through December 2028, according to the Fallbrook Public Utility District.
From Percy Davis Ranch to Beverly Mansion
Grand Tradition Estate & Gardens held its grand opening on May 1, 1984, after the original property was purchased in the 1970s and the estate itself was constructed in 1983. The 30-acre property was established on the former 35-acre Percy Davis Ranch by the Story, Martin and McDougal families and has since hosted over 10,000 weddings and more than 1 million guests, according to the estate's own official history.
Beverly Mansion itself was designed with Victorian aesthetics in mind, inspired in part by Los Angeles's historic Platt House, and today features a crystal ballroom with Swarovski chandeliers, an oversized grand staircase, glass-panel doors and an outdoor lakeside gazebo set on a heart-shaped lake, according to Here Comes The Guide. The broader estate spans 30 acres of landscaped gardens with waterfalls and two main reception venues, the wedding-planning site notes.
Local Jewelry and Free Childcare
Fallbrook artisan Cheryl Abbott, an award-winning metalsmith who lives in the community, will showcase handcrafted jewelry at the brunch. Abbott operates Cheryl Abbott Designs, crafting silversmith pieces with sterling silver, 14k to 24k gold, precious gemstones and crystals inspired by nature, according to her Etsy shop.
Tickets include a brunch prepared by the Grand Tradition, and organizers are offering free childcare for attendees. Reservations are required by September 15, and can be made by calling Ginny at 760-723-3633.
The estate sits in Fallbrook, a community in northern San Diego County adjacent to Camp Pendleton. Just outside the estate, a Green Street project has been discussed along South Mission Road, though the available sources do not establish its cost, approval, design or environmental purpose.
