CIJ-Day 6-Put it Outside-Best Outdoor Displays- Must See's

[AnnieClaus]

Get your Bucket List out and your Passport Ready!
Today will be exploring the Best Christmas Light Displays Must See's.

Does your town/city post the best displays to see?
Last Christmas there was a facebook page started in my town where folks could post awesome outdoor Christmas displays and how to find them.
I have a list of houses/neighborhoods that I go look at every year.
Do you do the same?
Does the zoo in your area do Zoo Lights?
Are there any neighborhoods where every house is decorated?

Best Holiday Light Displays Around the World

Fairy lights. Festival of Lights. Night of the Candles. Whatever the tradition, light displays have been a part of holiday celebrations for centuries. Here are some of the biggest, best and most over-the-top displays from around the world.

www.travelchannel.com

Around the World in Christmas: 16 Cities With the Best Holiday Light Displays!

All we want for Christmas is to see these festive lights.

www.tripzilla.com

Has anyone been to any of these on these lists?

Annie

 

[Lori K]

I just did a Google search of "[my town] Christmas lights 2021" and pulled up numerous lists of the best lights in our area. I'm going to use some of these lists as a starting point, working under the assumption that these same houses will decorate in 2022. Driving around to look at Christmas lights is something we used to do when my DD was young and we fell away from it as she got older. I want to get back to doing that to keep the spirit of the holiday alive and to get away from just letting the days pass me by.

 

[halimer]

WoW!

 

[AnnieClaus]

Lori- It's one of the things I enjoy doing the most during the holidays.

I do it so much that my brother will text me and ask which new houses he needs to drive by! Hahahahhaa

I also like to go through after Christmas and see which houses keep theirs up the longest.
There is a cute little house that keeps their white lights up outside through most of January.
When I see they are gone, I always say, "Christmas is now truly over for this season."

Annie

 

[jampss]

So pretty!!!

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

. I want to get back to doing that to keep the spirit of the holiday alive and to get away from just letting the days pass me by.

My Mum and I have already made a date for this year. We are going to have manicures and pedicures, get our photo taken with Santa,have an early supper and then go and look at some lights. We will pack a late supper to enjoy while we are out.
The problem here is it is Summer and will not get dark until about 8.30-9pm so will be a late night .

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Annie, these are beautiful. Nice to see an Australian city on the list.
I think my favourite is the display from Kobe Japan, it is perfect. I do also like the ones from the European countries. Stunning.
Thank you for finding these.

 

[Lana]

Annie, pretty.

We love going around and looking at lights. I also like the decorating light shows on TV.

 

[Miss JoDee]

There is a huge drive through light show at our county fairgrounds every year. I have not gone. I prefer the drive through neighborhood displays.

 

[missjane]

There's a family about 8 miles from us who puts up a light display every year. If you tune your radio to a certain station, it plays Christmas songs on your radio set to the rhythm of the light display. It's nothing compared to the beauty of all these, but it's certainly fun to see and do. They've been doing it every year since our children were little. Now, it's fun to take the grandchildren. We like going as adults! lol It starts the night after Thanksgiving and stays active until New Year's. We usually go several times.

Another family about 22 miles away does it, too, but we've never gone to it. We only see it if we're happening to pass by at random times of the year when the sign for tuning your radio station is still up year round.

 

[jampss]

Yes, we have a place that does that. It's a few country miles up the road and we would go when DS18 was little. We would bring a friend of his along and DD was still at home, she would have her friend as well. It was our Christmas light looking night and then go get a fun snack somewhere. Ah the memories when the kiddos were little, eh!

 

[Miss JoDee]

Yes, we have a place that does that. It's a few country miles up the road and we would go when DS18 was little. We would bring a friend of his along and DD was still at home, she would have her friend as well. It was our Christmas light looking night and then go get a fun snack somewhere. Ah the memories when the kiddos were little, eh!

We need to continue those memories for ourselves as well. Hot chocolat, Christmas music and a nice drive could even get romantic

 

[Cathymac2]

Another near and dear to my heart subject!
My town does a stellar Christmas display. I have a picture of it but I'll have to find it It really is quite spectacular. Our downtown and courthouse is very historic and the downtown area was given a face lift a few years ago. Many many new merchants have moved into the downtown area again and it is even beginning to be known for it's night life-something I can never remember in my life happening!!
The merchants and the city go all out for Third Thursday, a gathering in downtown on that date each month from March or April thru Christmas. At Halloween they host "Spook City" for trick or treating, then it's on to Christmas. Some of the older stores still have the gorgeous windows to decorate. The courthouse lawn is transformed into a winter wonderland and Santa holds court in the gazebo every night. Different county employees volunteer and dress up like elves and Santa's and Mrs. Claus' helpers, handing out candy canes and manning a hot chocolate and cookie station. There is even a horse drawn carriage that you can pay to ride in to tour the city. It's so wonderful. I will try to find the photo and get it posted.

Love this thread!!

 

[jampss]

@Cathymac2 It sound like a Hallmark movie!

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Lori- It's one of the things I enjoy doing the most during the holidays.

I do it so much that my brother will text me and ask which new houses he needs to drive by! Hahahahhaa

I also like to go through after Christmas and see which houses keep theirs up the longest.
There is a cute little house that keeps their white lights up outside through most of January.
When I see they are gone, I always say, "Christmas is now truly over for this season."

Annie

Annie,

You should drop a note to those people and let them know. I think they'd enjoy knowing you enjoy it too.

For years, I'd drive by a house on the way to my parents. This house had bronze sculptures of little children in various forms of play. They would put a hats, scarves and gloves on them in the winter. At Easter, they might have had bunny ears and a basket in their hand. My kids loved seeing how they were dressed. I sent a note to let them know. And then one year, they sold the house. The new owners don't keep up with the yard or the sculptures.

I like the Kobe, Japan lights. I hadn't heard of it before. I'm leaned another new thing this evening. Last year, a company sponsored an outdoor light event. They rented an empty lot and converted it to a Christmas light wonderland. They had Christmas music, various light displays, a food tent, and places to warm up by a fire. We got discount tickets when it was first announced in October. The timing was perfect for us. It was a few days after my nephew's funeral and a few days before Christmas. It got us feeling like Christmas was going to happen.