Opelika mayor proclaims ‘Jan Jones Day’
BY ANN CIPPERLY
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — With 59 refurbished displays, musical presentations and storytelling, the 31st annual Victorian Front Porch Tour created picture-perfect Christmas scenes of a simpler time in Opelika’s history. The walking tour kicked off Saturday night at the Heritage House with Mayor Gary Fuller presenting the founder and artist, Jan Jones, with a key to the city and proclaimed Dec. 14, 2024, as “Jan Jones Day.”
When Jan attended the 30th anniversary tour last year, she realized the mannequins were showing age. She discussed refurbishing the figures with Fuller and he agreed. The mannequins were delivered to Jan’s home in Fairhope last March.
“I didn’t think it would take the rest of the year to renovate them,” Jan said, “but they were in worse shape than I thought. They were falling apart. I rebuilt some, created five new faces, redesigned a lot of the costumes and made new ones. It was like playing Walt Disney.”
The restored mannequins were finished in December and were picked up the week before the tour in a large truck to return them to Opelika. When Jan arrived last week, she decided where to place each display and arranged them differently for a fresh look.
“The walking tour was stunning,” she added, “and I saw so many people I have not seen in a few years. It brought back a lot of memories, and it just made my Christmas.”
Kathryn James Reese director of the event spoke highly of Jones.
“It is such an honor for Opelika to have Jan dedicate her time, energy and talent into refurbishing the figures, as well as having her be with us throughout the tour,” Reese said. “Her artistry is loved and appreciated by many. We are so grateful.”
