The Excelsior Springs Christmas Committee, in partnership with the Downtown Excelsior Partnership (DEP), is gearing up to kick off the holiday season by selling tickets for their Holiday Home Tours event that will commence Dec. 2 even as they finalize plans for the Nov. 18 Holiday Festival in downtown Excelsior Springs. The Holiday Home Tour event consists of five homes and homeowners that decorate for the Christmas season, allowing people to come and see their hard work and holiday transformations. “We select five homes that decorate for Christmas,” said Melissa Bartlett, committee member and local Realtor. Those who purchase tickets, on the day of the event, “tour the homes and make a day of it.” Bartlett noted each home on the tour is different, with some only 900 square feet in size and other homes that are brand-new. She said everybody who has gone on the Holiday Homes Tour in the past adores each of them because they are cute, charming and fun to tour. She explained that on…