Christmas Village in Colton Home Brings Holiday Cheer

When visitors stop by Richard Amador's home off Rancho Avenue in Colton, they don't walk into a house - they walk into an entire village. For the last decade the longtime Colton resident has begun a tradition of bringing some more Christmas cheer to the community, taking the opportunity each year to add to the growing miniature Christmas village, which he, along with help from his wife Lupe and sons Raymond and Michael, sets up after Thanksgiving in the garage of his home every year. There was one exception though: the Christmas village was postponed last year due to the knee surgery his wife underwent around the holidays. The current 12-foot-by-8-foot-by-12-foot "U"-shaped village set-up that stands in the Amador family's garage today is a definite expansion on its humble roots 10 years ago, explained Amador. "I started with little buildings here and there; in fact, I had one little building when my son Richard Jr. was little, and that was in the 70s. Just about four years ago the village was 4-foot-by-8-foot." Little by little, Amador has added to the village to make it the sprawling microcosm of a wintery city it is today. It's complete with a depot, a brewery, a school, an ice skating rink, a merry-go-round, a farm, trains, snow and a Santa Claus, said Amador. The village even boasts blinking lights and plays some Christmas carols. "Every year I try to add on to it. I'll pick pieces up or friends will give me new pieces and say, 'Richard, what do you think of this? Can you add it to your village?'" The whole village takes at least a few days to set up, he said - anywhere from five to six days. Amador is assisted by his wife and his son Raymond in uncovering the bins that hold the village items from storage and setting up the foundation and other groundwork. Then, his son Michael puts what Amador calls "the finishing touches" on the village. Each year, the layout changes, said Amador, putting an additional touch of creativity to the project, as the village looks different each year. Amador was inspired by the nostalgia of his childhood to begin setting up the village, he said. "When I first started putting it up, my grandkids were a little smaller and I wanted to bring them something special. You don't see [villages like this] anymore like you used to. It takes me back to being 8, 9, 10 years old and I would see them in the windows. We try to go all out for Christmas; it really takes me back to my younger years." Over the years the village has caught the attention of many Colton residents, who often come by more than once to see it - the Amadors keep the village up through the month of December - including the attention of city leaders like former Colton Mayor David R. Zamora, he said. "I usually have a lot of people who walk by and see it. Just last week there were two ladies who were walking by and asked if they could see the village. They said, 'Oh, I've never seen anything like this,'" said Amador. "They asked if they could come back and bring their grandchildren next time." Amador is happy to let anyone who's interested to see it. "I want to really show it to people. People of all ages like to come by, and if I can make some little kids happy by seeing it, then I'm happy." Anyone interested in seeing the village can contact Amador at 909-587-9997 for directions and times. He'll display the village day or night, and is happy to elicit smiles and holiday cheer.