We asked those of you who scale ladders and traverse rooftops each December, who blow fuses and play hobbyist electrician just to light up the lives of neighbors and perfect strangers, to send us your fabulously festooned homes.
And you did — big time.
It’s been a lot of fun — enlightening, even — reading your notes about the twinkling Christmas spirit you’ve painstakingly put around your yards and houses via what is sure to be several miles of extension cord.
Large inflatable Santas and Snoopys seem popular along with synchronized music and light shows, but, of course, a simple and serene Nativity or lone shining star never go out of style.
Your hard work most certainly lands you on the “nice list,” as well as our list of dazzling outdoor displays.
Thanks again for making the Yakima Valley so merry and bright.
— Kim Nowacki
For a map of all the displays, click HERE.
YAKIMA
• 804 N. Third St. — Numerous illuminated displays feature reindeer, Santa Claus, trains, a small nativity scene, candy canes, a sledding bear and snow men, plus there’s Christmas music.
• 416 S. Seventh St. — You can see this decorated house from three blocks away. It features an inflatable frog, carousel and nutcracker, illuminated presents, blue icicle lights and much more.
• 609 S. Ninth St. — Hundreds of lights decorate this house, along with two inflatable snowmen and Santa. The residents will hand out candy canes from 7-10 p.m. Dec. 20.
• 1402 S. Fifth Ave. — Located behind Hoover Elementary School, this house is decorated with more than 30,00 lights, to help celebrate Christ’s birth. There’s also an airplane runway, Precious Moments Nativity, polar bears, Madagascar penguins, snowman angel, a large cross and more.
• 909 S. 11th Ave. — A variety of light displays featuring Santa on a train, Woodstock with Snoopy on his doghouse, candy canes, a star, light shows and a lit up Christmas tree with Seasons Greetings signs.
• 2510 W. Yakima Ave. — This home and yard are decorated with 8,000 lights including tiny trees lining both sides of the property and a six-foot-tall drummer boy and two-foot-tall ornament hanging in the courtyard.
• 1305 S. 24th Ave. — There are more than 8,000 mini lights and 350 big lights on this house, plus candy canes, snowmen, penguins, Christmas trees, snowflakes, a couple of deer, a large star 30 feet above the house and seven large inflatables including Santa in his sleigh, a polar bear, hot air balloon and the Grinch.
• 2907 Bonnie Doon — The decorations here include lights, inflatable displays, Santa and his reindeer on the roof and lawn and penguins.
• North 27th Avenue at the intersection with Barge Street — Ten residents on this dead end street have decorated their homes in a variety of ways: a Nativity scene, large star overlooking the neighborhood, Santa on roofs and in lawns, and a host of other decorative lawns make this street a Christmas delight.
• 1004 S. 11th Ave. — Lots of lights and many displays decorate this home. Don’t forget to check both ends of the house and the driveway and roll down your window to hear the music. Standing guard over all this is Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
• 2802 N. Tahoma Ave. — This house-turned-Santa’s work shop has animated displays of a drumming soldier, rocking horse, Santa and an elf on a teeter-totter, a skating snowman, a horse and buggy, a Ferris wheel, carousel and elves putting presents in a stocking, plus thousands of lights on the trees and hundreds of swags on the fence.
• 3204 W. Viola Ave. — Several thousand clear lights on this house celebrate daughter Katelynn’s first Christmas. The theme continues in the yard with several white spiral trees as well as lighted candy canes and an inflatable Santa waving to you in welcome.
• 4305 W. Viola Ave., #B — This home is decorated with all kinds of lights, animals, Mickey Mouse, a snowman, Santa, a polar bear, a shimmering star and American flag.
• 605 1/2 W. Pierce St. — A thousand lights are just part of this display which also features an inflated snowman and Santa Claus, 10 lighted candy canes, angles, ornaments and Old Glory.
• 1041 E. Selah Road — You can’t miss this place. Thousands of lights line the home, trees and fences. Enjoy Santa in his sleigh and his tiny reindeer leading the way with Rudolph in the lead, candy canes up in the trees, polar bears under the trees, inflatable snowmen, a Nativity scene, a moose that moves his head and Christmas Winnie the Pooh.
• 210 Cleman Ave. — The lights on this house flash to the music — from Bing Crosby to Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
• 620 N. 34th Ave. — Orchard Park Gracious Retirement Living is sparkling with holiday lights for the Christmas Season. Orchard Park’s four-floor building is lit up with bright lights and festive evergreen decorations
• 406 S. 36th Ave. — This home is decorated every year by 81-year-old T.J. Baughman (AKA Clark Griswold). This year’s display features icicle lights, 14 trees, eight deer and a six-foot Grinch guarding the front door.
• 241 N. 38th Ave. — The decorations here include a fiber optic tree, two fiber optic angles, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, illuminated reindeer, a large star, two six-foot tall candles and much more.
• 911 S. 41st Ave. — Thousands of red and clear lights create a fantasy land with Rudolph and family grazing on the front lawn and an old-fashioned tree shines in the front window.
• 1309 S. 43rd Ave. — Santa won’t miss this house which has a landing strip for the big guy on the roof and thousands of lights. Santa will be handing out treats from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 19-23.
• 1317 S. 44th Ave. — The elves have just finished putting up the icicle lights twinkling through silver garland. There are also reindeer, penguins and snowmen decorations and the plum tree is outfitted with more than 1,500 lights that dance to electronically synchronized music. A shimmering angel looks over it all.
• 1812 Pickens Loop and 1814 Pickens Loop — These houses have 7,000 lights between the two of them and have set up “Candy Land” and “Blue Mountain” themes.
• 202 S. 62nd Ave. — Approach from West Chestnut Avenue to appreciate the full view of the thousands of multi-colored lights which decorate this home and yard. A large cross and star can be seen on the roof while Santa and his reindeer are dashing across the front lawn.
• 205 S. 62nd Ave. — About 40 decorations such as deer, spiral trees, Santa, snowmen, a Ferris wheel, bear, penguin, trains, Santa on a motorcycle and Christmas trees.
• 1530 S. 68th Ave. — Simply put, this house is decorated with “Christmas colors galore.”
• 1811 Magnolia Ct. — In this senior court, several of the residents have decorated for the holidays.
• 3021 Old Naches Highway — The home is lit with more than 6,000 lights and includes five reindeer, a sled, snowman, five spiral trees, angels, gift boxes, candy canes, candles along the driveway and icicle lights around the deck and eves.
• 60 McAllister Drive — Near the Suntides area is this home decorated with thousands of lights , a lighted candy cane fence and several inflatables choreographed to music.
• 133 Abbess Lane — This home showcases more than 40,000 lights, polar bears, a penguin, a Nativity scene, a star on top of the roof, Santa Claus and reindeer suspended in the air, a snowman, candles, candy canes, soldiers, a carousel, more than 40 lawn figures, a red, white and blue theme on the shop, numerous tree lights, lighted trains, snowflakes, icicle lights, a synchronized music and light show and more.
• 5104 N. Canyon Rd — Santa’s reindeer graze in the grass as they watch the lights dance to music.
• 4940 Pear Butte Dr. — Thousands and thousands of lights decorate this house making it worth the visit to Terrace Heights.
SELAH
• 1605 Selah Loop Rd. — At this house, thousands of lights are animated to music. This must-see show plays every half from 6-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. When it gets closer to Christmas, the show will begin every 15 minutes. And the best part, you don’t have to roll down your window to hear the music, just tune to 106.9 FM. (Think the TV commercials for Miller Light.)
• 131 E. Fremont Ave. — This Candyland-themed display features a synchronized musical show, 30 candy canes and a inflatable carousel.
• 501 Hegel Court — located behind Selah Intermediate School, this Griswald-esque home is decked out with computer-generated light displays, snowball-throwing snowmen, an electronic Christmas tree lot, music coordinated with lights (tune to 90.5 FM) and giant illuminated driveway arches.
• 503 Lacey Ave. — “Grandpa’s Christmas Musical House” features thousands of lights, some flashing to music, and several inflatables.
MOXEE
• 2361 Faucher Rd. — This house features three Christmas trees to see through the window and a yard full of snow globes, Santa on a tractor, reindeer, lighted trees, Santa teeter-tottering with reindeer, snowmen and music. And in the hop field, you’ll find Santa and his sleigh.
• 40 Desmarais Rd. — A vast display of illuminated trees, Santa on the roof and “Merry Christmas” sign in the yard.
The print version of this list will be published in the Dec. 19 issue of On magazine.