Carbon Valley Life Holiday Issue 2020 (November-December)

Crea te Yo ur Ow n Ta c k y Lig h t Tour

by Genevieve Mellott Where I grew up near Richmond, Virginia, there was a tradition at the end of each year of visiting neighborhoods to view the gleaming holiday lights. It didn’t matter in which area you lived; word spread quickly about which displays were the most innovative or prettiest, the subdivisions with the most houses with lights, and so on. It was a fantastic (cheap) date night and a great way to mystify children with the wonder of the season.

Virginians called the tradition a tacky light tour. I think somebody even branded it that way, probably one of the limousine companies who found a lucrative holiday niche by knowing where to take willing “tourists.” However, you didn’t need to be in the driving business to be able to slowly coast down streets to ooh and ahh. It was a celebration of the dedication and ingenuity people had put into decorating their homes, whether it entailed a small group of white-lit deer or a colorful presentation that would make Clark Griswold blush. Some homes were a little over the top, but it was all good fun.

I know we do this in Colorado as well, and it’s time we own it as an individually curated event!

Best of all, we can still celebrate this activity the same as always… maybe even better. You may be thinking, “Why would I want to take time out of my schedule to drive through neighbrohoods when I could go to Boulder’s Switch on the Lights 26