Several years ago, Raymond resident Jackie Sawyer wanted a way to connect the community together more during the holidays. Borrowing an idea from nearby Harrison, the Raymond Christmas Light Contest was born.
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| See and vote for the most festive house in Raymond during the Raymond Christmas Lights Contest running from Dec. 12 to Dec. 14. COURTESY PHOTO JACKIE SAWYER |
Sawyer, a real estate agent with Meservier & Associates, said she proposed the idea for holding a Christmas lights contest,
“I reached out to the town and our rec department and some of the local businesses and shared with them the idea and everybody seemed to support it,” she said. “I think we had about nine houses the first year and we had probably over 100 people that drove around and saw the houses, and we got really good feedback.”
Last year, Sawyer said more than 200 people submitted votes and about 12 houses in town participated.
Sawyer said she wanted to create a fun, free, and family-friendly event that the whole community could enjoy.
“There’s enough going on this time of year that cost people a lot of money, but this is just a nice, family friendly event,” she said. “One of the houses runs a hot cocoa stand and this year The Good Life Market is going to be giving out cookies. So people can make a couple of stops along the way and get little goodies as they go.”
But the highlight, of course, will be viewing the houses in Raymond and seeing how they’re decked out for the holidays.
Last year one of the houses had their lights synced up to music, Sawyer said, and in some years several neighboring houses in Raymond participate in the contest together.
According to Sawyer, one house on Pond Road goes all out in particular and has won the contest a couple of times.
“I really appreciate the vastness of the decorations that they put out,” she said. “It’s really impressive what people will do for their displays.”
There’s a variety of reasons people participate in the contest, she said. Some are just competition “and they try to be the best. Sometimes they just want to be part of this fun holiday event. I’ve heard from others that that their grandkids came and helped decorate and they had so much much fun putting up the lights.”
There is still time for those interested in having their home in the contest to participate. The deadline to sign up to participate is Dec. 6.
For those who participate, winning doesn’t just include bragging rights but also prizes, which have ranged from cash to gift certificates. This year, Sawyer said, she wants to show appreciation to all participants so everyone in the contest will get something.
For those who are on the fence about whether to participate, Sawyer said, “People shouldn’t feel like they have to go above and beyond to decorate their house. Everybody likes something different for displays, and sometimes a good classic display with simple lights can be just as beautiful and impactful as somebody that goes all out. There’s no display that is too big or too small. We welcome whatever anybody feels like doing. I just want it to be something that’s fun and festive and not ultra-competitive that somebody feels intimidated to do.”
The more we can get people involved in the community and make this an event that is sustainable and is really something that brings the community together the better, Sawyer said.
“I’d love for it to be something that people look forward to every year,” she said.
To sign up to compete in the contest, contact Jackie Sawyer at jackie@meservier.com on or before Dec. 6. Maps for participating homes can be found at The Good Life Market at 1297 Roosevelt Trail in Raymond.
For more detailed information go to the Raymond Light Contest Facebook page at tinyurl.com/5a28k3af. <
