If you plan to go for a ride to check out the lights this year, read this first
It’s a tradition for many of us, at this, the darkest time of the year, to put up some holiday lights and bring a little sparkle to the season. Thanks to Red River North Tourism(RRNT)’s Holiday Yards of the Season, returning again this year, some of the best light displays in our area have come together so that residents can participate in the equally important tradition of getting in your vehicle on a cold winter night and going for a ride to check out some of the area’s most amazing light displays.
This is one of the many houses that are participating in the Holiday Yards of the Season this year
“Holiday Yards of the Season is an event where we collect all of the houses, balconies, and yards in the area that have decorations out. They can be lights or can be inflatables, as long as it has lights in some way or things that move. We put them onto a map, and people can go on an excursion in the evening, and they can just go through the map and enjoy a little light show without having to guess where the lights are,” said Belle Lourenco, Coordinator for RRNT.
To get on the list of light displays, residents from St. Andrews, Selkirk, and St. Clements signed up their houses earlier this month.
These light displays aren’t just for people to enjoy. They’re also a competition to see who in the Tri-S area will have the bragging rights to the best holiday lights of 2025.
“It’s going to go until January, so people can do the route, then people can vote for their favourite holiday display at the Selkirk Home Hardware customer service desk. There’ll be a box there where you can enter one ballot per person, and you can vote for your favourite. The voter is entered to win a $25 Biz Bucks Card, and the top three houses will win Home Hardware gift cards,” said Lourenco.
The map of all of the participating homes can be found at https://www.redrivernorthtourism.com/holiday-yards.
Most displays are best enjoyed from a warm vehicle, especially with the cool temperatures we’ve had as of late but there is also a very special home this year that is inviting residents to come through. Santa’s Walk Through Village is open until Jan. 1 and is located off Thomas Cove in St. Clements, just West of PR500 on Road 101N.
“People can get out of their vehicles, and they can go throughout this yard. This couple have decorated their house with a bunch of Christmas inflatables, and they’ve lit it up. People can walk through the yard, take some pictures and enjoy some holiday cheer a little bit. It is (a bit of a drive for some), but what I’ve seen on Facebook is people have been saying that it’s worth the drive out,” said Lourenco.
The light displays this year are possibly the best ones yet, and Lourenco credits that to the community wanting to come together.
“It’s the community aspect. It definitely gets people engaged, and also, people get really competitive, too. It just lifts that competitive spirit of trying to decorate your house and go all out.” She said.
Red River North Tourism puts this event on annually. Though the homes are all from the Tri-S area, people from any and everywhere are welcome to drive on over to check out the lights.
“This is a fun way to do something outside of the house, in the comfort of your car, to enjoy. It’s free too. You don’t need to pay money to get access to the map,” said Lourenco.
She explained that they have kept up putting on this event over the years because of the support of the community, the support of the three municipalities, as well as Selkirk Home Hardware and Communities in Bloom.
If you would like to head out for a ride to check out the displays, Lourenco encourages you to give it a shot.
“It’s free. It’s something to do, and you can do it on your own time whenever it’s convenient for your schedule,” she said.
Holiday Yards of the Season is on Now until Jan. 1.
Prizes will be awarded on Jan. 12.
