Maybe it’s because they days are shorter or the weather is colder, but one thing we can’t deny is the appeal of a brightly lit tree, house, or boat for the holidays. It’s the time of year when we can enjoy all the hard work and dangerous maneuvers involved in decorating your house from top to bottom with strings of twinkling Christmas lights. If you’re needing a break from the hectic holiday happenings, venture out on any given December night in the Bay Area and check out some holiday light displays that are so over-the-top that PG&E sends thank you cards.
San Francisco
Tom & Jerry’s Christmas Display
What started as a Norfolk Island pine house plant in 1970 is now a whopping 60 foot behemoth of a tree resting in front of this Noe Valley Victorian. Oversized ornaments and decorations are meant to be in proportion to the tree, making this Christmas display one of the biggest and most anticipated displays of the season. Model toys, giant stuffed animals, and gigantic stockings provide lots of visual entertainment while Santa makes his nightly appearance for the little ones. Santa appears nightly until about 9:30 pm through Christmas Eve.
Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Display
3650 21st Street, Noe Valley
Marin
Rombiero’s Christmas House
If you’re heading north to Marin County, you must visit legendary 34 Devonshire in Novato, the home of the industrious Rombiero family. They not only decorate the outside of their house with over 100,000 lights (as pictured), but invite visitors inside as well to view their home transformed into a winter wonderland. Last year, 39,000 people toured the house! This year, they are offering “The Christmas Spirit” tours everyday (including holidays!) from 6:00pm-10:00pm until January 6th.
Rombiero’s Christmas House
34 Devonshire Drive
Novato
East Bay
Christmas Tree Lane
There’s nothing more impressive than an entire neighborhood block decked out with lights, figurines, and Christmas displays. Every house on this East Bay block is covered with life-sized dioramas and miles of holiday lights bright enough to be seen from the Nimitz Freeway. Visit nightly through Christmas.
Christmas Tree Lane
3200 Thompson Avenue (between High St & Fernside Blvd)
Alameda
Penninsula
Christmas Tree Lane
The neighbors of Fulton Street (between Embarcadero Road and Seale Avenue) have been decorating their homes and providing holiday cheer since 1940, when a group decided to decorate their block together. Over the years the lights, decoration and fanfare has expanded and is a popular holiday destination for Peninsula families. Stop by every night from 5:00pm-11:00pm to witness the holiday magic for yourself.
Christmas Tree Lane
1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Street
Palo Alto
The Glacier Lights
In 2005, two San Jose neighbors who shared an affinity for Christmas and lights decided to join forces and create an elaborate electrical-musical extravaganza. Six years later, the Glacier Lights are still going strong, with over 75,000 lights and a constantly updating musical score. Street parking is available, but you just might find yourself pulling up a chair on the sidewalk and staying for the whole show.
- On Sunday through Thursday nights the show runs from 6:00pm until 9:00pm.
- On Friday and Saturday nights it runs from 6:00pm until 10:00pm.
- On Christmas Eve and Christmas Night the show will be on from 6:00pm until 10:00pm.
The Glacier Lights
1401 & 1405 Glacier Drive
San Jose
Maybe you’re new to the neighborhood or just feel lazy and want to see some holiday lights in your pajamas. Log onto Lights of the Valley, an ingenious website that features images and directions to hundreds of holiday-lit homes in the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley. Check out neighborhood lights in the comfort of your home office or get the family together for a sparkling night drive-by. The site allows you to search for holiday lights by zip code, town, or county and even plots them on a map for you. Don’t miss a home marked as “Must See,” the lights and decorations are always over the top!
What's your favorite street for holiday lights?
—Sarah K. Choi & Scott Wardell
Photo credit: Hobby-Photograph via Flickr
