Holiday

tourists will be greeted by themed Christmas trees,

armies of Santas and the sounds of carols next Saturday

when they make the rounds of beautifully appointed homes

on tour in Fayette County.

Sponsored

tour begins at noon and ends at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the

seasonal event will go toward the cost of the band's

September trip to Australia for the Opening Ceremonies of

the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

The homes

selected for the tour range from the traditional to the

whimsical. Tammy Leslie's home at Whitewater is decorated

in elegant whites and golds. Long tassels and

European-style Santas mix with traditional greenery

wrapped around the stairwell's bannisters. One of her

favorite traditions is having her 6- and 9-year-old

daughters decorate their bedrooms.

Noel

November was the source of one daughter's dream tree, a

tiny fir decorated by the Indian guides and princesses of

the Fayette Family YMCA. Another tree in the sun room

announces, it's "bug" inning to look a lot like

Christmas. Decorated by TCIS, the tree is alive with

jeweled dragonflies, butterflies and other fanciful

flying insects.

On the

other end of the spectrum is the home of Peter and Yvonne

McCarron in the Stanley Oaks subdivision. "I think

of it as a traditional, whimsical cottage look,"

McCarron said of her home. "There's nothing serious,

it's all charming." As an artist, McCarron has

filled her living quarters with original paintings and

adorned the walls with painted apple trees, a barn and

chickens.

Paul and

Melody Ray's home in The Woodlands has an antique flavor.

According to Ray, there's a tree in every room. "I

also have a lot of Santa Clauses. I've been accumulating

then for about 32 years," she said.

"The

main tree is totally decorated in glass figurines,"

she noted, "the old European-style ornaments."

The home is furnished with family antiques and Ray's

china collection.

Five trees

light up John and Doe Evans home, also in The Woodlands,

along with a variety of Santas. "I call it the Santa

house," Evans said. A special tree featured in her

daughter's room is a gold and black "Tiger"

themed tree decorated by Jan's Florist on Glynn Street.

Evans said that between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan's

will donate 10 percent of sales to the Fayette County

Band fund.

A sports

tree wrapped in a sports card garland is the key

attraction in Evans' son's room.

An oak

sleigh filled with wrapped presents and toys is the focal

point of the Evanses' landing.

Members of

the school band will play at several locations and

refreshments will be served along the way.

There are

seven homes altogether on the tour. Tickets can be

purchased by phoning the Fayette County High School band

room at 770-719-2112 or can be obtained for $12 at By

Invitation Only on Glynn Street across from the

Courthouse before Saturday. Tickets are $15 on the day of

the tour.

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