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For the 50th year, it’s Snoopy House time in Costa Mesa

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Five decades ago, a 14-year-old Costa Mesa boy named Jim Jordan took some leftover plywood and fashioned it into a modest assortment of holiday decorations to display at his family’s Eastside home.

Jordan drew on Charles Schulz’s now-iconic “Peanuts” comic strip as inspiration, assembling several of its characters, including the famous beagle Snoopy.

“It was a big fad, and Charles Schulz’s humor tickled me,” Jordan said when asked why he chose that theme. “It’s kind of my humor.”

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Thus, Snoopy House, a “Peanuts”-themed display that’s one of Costa Mesa’s most popular holiday traditions, was born.

This year, the 50th-anniversary display opens its two-week run Saturday evening at Costa Mesa City Hall.

“You’re going to ask me if there’s anything original and I’m going to say ‘nuh uh,’” Jordan said during an interview this week as the exhibit was under construction. “Just me.”

But as volunteers and city staff put the finishing touches on the 50th Snoopy House, Jordan can’t help but be struck by the milestone.

He and his wife, Linda, calculated that 1.5 million to 1.75 million people have visited Snoopy House since it began.

“We absolutely were shocked,” Jordan said.

Snoopy House started as an annual fixture at the Jordan family’s home. That changed five years ago when a bank foreclosed on the property.

It was only one of the financial blows Jordan suffered in connection with the Great Recession, but he says it may have been the most painful.

“What hurt me more than anything else was not being able to do this for people,” he said.

Snoopy, though, had friends in high places.

With its future uncertain, Costa Mesa Chief Executive Tom Hatch offered to move the display to City Hall in 2011.

Every year since, 77 Fair Drive has been temporarily transformed into Snoopy Hall.

“It has been an honor to have Snoopy House here these past five years,” Mayor Steve Mensinger said in a statement. “It’s a wonderful tradition that now further connects the community to City Hall.”

Along with the festive holiday scenes, Snoopy House will boast live music nightly, free apple cider, photos with Santa Claus, free train rides for children and three nights of snow play, according to the city, which complements the display with a nightly light show on the facade of City Hall.

“There’s that old saying, ‘When God closes one door he opens another one,’” Jordan said. “I gotta admit — he kicked the barn doors open on this one.”

Looking ahead, Jordan, 64, said he plans to gradually hand control of Snoopy House to the city. He said the annual weeks-long slog to get the display ready takes more of a toll than it used to.

Jordan said he’s thrilled Costa Mesa’s leaders think enough of Snoopy House to keep it going — and thankful for the city’s efforts to save it years ago.

“It’s just absolutely humbling to say that they see the value in our work and what we bring to the community,” he said.

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IF YOU GO

What: Snoopy House

When: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 23

Where: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

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