Holiday home tour helps high school seniors

What a wonderful time of year when everyone is sharing the holiday cheer.

The count down is on with 12 days until Christmas and what better way to continue the holiday spirit than to participate in the 15th annual Christmas Home Tour and visit some of Fallon’s most elaborately decorated houses.

The tour is part of a yearly fundraising effort for the Churchill County High School Grad Night, which is held in June at Naval Air Station Fallon. Grad Night is a drug and alcohol free event for graduating CCHS seniors.

Tickets for the tour are $20 and $15 for persons 65 and older. The event runs from 1-7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at Cobblestone Corner, J&K Llamas Nursery, Just Country Friends, Flower Tree Nursery, Jeff’s Copy Express and Red Zinnia.

Carol Johnson, one of the organizers along with Michele Berney and Skip Carrica, has great hopes for this years turn out.

“It is a fun event to attend with your family or friends,” Johnson said. “It’s a great way to see the creativity of members in the community and how they decorate their house. Not only is it fun in that aspect but it benefits a great cause.”

Johnson said participants will receive a list of the seven houses with descriptions and a map to show locations. People may visit the homes in any order.

Mike and Lanie Baty are opening their home for the first time to residents to come view their colossal collection of Christmas decorations that spans the entire house. Lanie Baty said there are more than 2,000 ornaments on three Christmas trees and 136 Christmas villages.

“I love decorating and I love Christmas,” she said. “I buy Christmas decorations year round. You’ll find very few of the same ornaments on the trees, I like them to be different.”

Another couple opening their home is Rob and Candace Johnston.

“We find this to be a great cause to open our home,” Candace Johnston said. “We love decorating at our house and want to share our holiday spirit with others. With our candy cane lane lighting up the drive way visitors won’t be able to miss our house.”

She said every room has a different theme and feel to it. Candace Johnston said she makes sure that every room has a nativity in it because she doesn’t want her family to forget the real meaning of Christmas, Christ. She said all of the Christmas bedspreads are handmade and a splendor of lights will be on display inside and out.

Other homes on the tour are as follows:

Richard and Victoria Webster show off their Victorian Christmas village and alpine village that include multiple villages, trains and scenes. They will also show case many Christmas trees.

Jim and Jana Joyner will greet visitors with a Christmas tree in every room, each uniquely decorated.

Dax and Raeghan Tucker showcase their Hallmark ornaments and collectable ornaments that their four children have made. Visitors can also expect cookies to enjoy while they tour the house.

Dan and Deb Clifford will be opening their house, which was built in the 1980s, to show their holiday spirit.

Jorge Guerrero opens his doors for everyone to see his and his daughters holiday spirit. Their decoration includes a 10-foot Santa, an 8-foot Frosty the Snowman, homemade ornaments and an array of San Francisco 49er swag.