Celebrate season with holiday home tour

This year's Colony progressive potluck also doubled as a preview for the debut of the home tour. This is a sneak preview of the tour set for this weekend. It started off as a what-if idea. What if the neighbors who organize the monthly Colony district potluck took their annual holiday progressive potluck and made a holiday home tour? Could they pull it off? They could and did. And this weekend marks the first Heritage Square Holiday Home Tour. "We've got people coming from other historic districts to check this out," said Cynthia Ward, one of the organizers, by way of explaining how well they've pulled it off. The monthly Colony potluck began about five years ago when neighbors decided they wanted to reclaim Pearson Park, then overrun with drugs and crime. But soon the weather grew cold and they moved the party inside to a different home each month. Around the holidays, it turned into a progressive potluck, moving from home to home. "If we're going to the time and trouble of cleaning up our houses and inviting people over, let's do a home tour," Ward said. "Any chance we get to have a party is great," said Bonnie Kridner, who hosted the appetizers and entree portion of the progressive potluck at her home, the Grimshaw House at 105 S. Rose St. It's not just the traditional holiday lights and carefully decorated Christmas trees adorning the historic homes - though those are included in the festive adornments. A highlight of the homes is 18 hand-painted angels presiding over every corner of the five homes on the tour. Colony residents Luther Tatum and Gerry Baker-Tatum designed the angels, which are posted around the yards of the tour homes. Luther Tatum said he and his wife - both artists with a studio next to their Colony home - drew inspiration for the faces from 15th and 16th century artwork. The couple spent two weeks in their studio coming up with the design. Neighbors and high school students pitched in and helped with the painting. The tour will also include Boulevard, as were many of the homes in Heritage Square. The 1906 Victorian home has served several purposes including a practice space for Lawrence Welk and was once occupied by Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers in the 1950s live entertainment from local student choirs and dance groups. Four of the angels held court above the Chinn's back yard, the Cahen-Clendenen home at the corner of Cypress Street and Vintage Lane. Built in 1882, the Cahen-Clendenen home is thought to have the first indoor toilet in Anaheim, though the fact cannot be confirmed. The Hatfield house, on Rose Street, was moved from its original location on Anaheim Tickets are still available for the Friday and Saturday tours. Homes are open from 6 to 10 p.m. on both days and the walking tours will go on even if it rains. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, students and museum members. Family packs are available for $50 and includes admission for two adults and up to four supervised children. Additional children's tickets are $5 each. Parking is available at the city garage on Center Street and the tour begins at the Anaheim Museum, where shuttles will be available to the tour neighborhood.