Where to look for holiday cheer? Stanislaus reader recommendations are here
Two hundred fifty-eight feet of comfort and joy.
For 11 years now, that’s what motorists experience as they pass Maria and Aaron Moss’ home at 3101 Coffee Road in Modesto. Those who can pull over near the house just north of Rumble Road are welcome to immerse themselves in the warm, bright display by walking a path through the yard.
The couple’s celebration of Christmas includes 215 blow-molded plastic decorations, including Santas, choir singers, nutcrackers, snowmen, candy canes, candles and more. Most of them are vintage, dating back decades.
A few two-dimensional lighted pieces were purchased from a Ripon business that did commercial holiday lighting displays, Aaron Moss said. When it went out of business, the owner informed a Facebook decorating group, whose members, including the Mosses, quickly bought the remaining inventory.
But arguably the most eye-catching pieces, Moss made himself. They include the messages “Believe” and “Peace on Earth” that he shaped by hand using pencil rod. Moss said he found a font he liked, used an overhead projector to trace the words onto plywood, then used screws to create a pattern for the metal rod.
And a couple of 14-foot-tall lighted poinsettias have a frame of 3/8-inch rebar. They’re his oldest handmade pieces, dating back six years.
“A lot of us crazy Christmas folks make a lot of our big pieces.,” Moss said.
Of his and Maria’s display, which this year was put up over nine days, he added, “It’s a hobby, but we do it for the community and for the kids and everybody. And it seems like this year, everybody needs a little extra right now.”
Lots of people around Stanislaus County clearly feel the same way. Year after year, they spend hours or days putting up beautiful holiday displays that reflect a range of time periods and styles: old-school blow-molds, hand-cut and hand-painted stand-ups, inflatables, sculptures and flashing displays synchronized to music.
We asked readers to share their own, or their neighbors’, must-see outdoor holiday displays. Here are the replies we received:
Modesto
- Added Dec. 13. 1003 Clarksburg Way. Tom and Judy Byrne say this home, just off Scenic Drive east of Lakewood, is well worth the drive to east Modesto. “A beautiful 75-foot-tall — yes, 75 feet —redwood tree is decorated with colorful lights, carefully and artistically placed with the help of a mechanical lift,” they write. It was planted a few years ago by Jeff Stejskal and his wife, Lisa, they Byrnes tell us. “Jeff leaves the light strands up throughout the year and brings them up to snuff early in December after summer heat and plenty of wind. And then, just in time for Christmas, turns on the ‘magic’ lights visible to drivers on Scenic and within the Lincoln Estates neighborhood. The lights glow each night from bottom to top, (except when the wind tackles the top!).”
- Added Dec. 13. 2412 Sunrise Ave. A reader named Irma directs us to a “lovely” display by Richard and Cathy Ashmun. “Almost everything has been made by Richard. He spends so many hours preparing this each year.”
Added Dec. 13. 2245 Lambert St. Proud son Gonzalo Haro directs us to his parents’ home.
- 1913 Rockford Ave. “We do Christmas lights and decorations big (as do many of the neighbors),” Tammy Moran told us. “Having drive-bys would make this year’s smaller Christmas for the kids special in a different way — but hasn’t that what most of this year has been about?”
- 417 Kavanagh Ave. “Every year, my son Gordi Franco goes all out on Christmas decorations,” proud mom Rosie Franco said. “The neighbors wait anxiously every year for the new display. This year, we have over 11,000 lights and several inflatables.”
2816 Newhall Court. “My Christmas light show includes over 4,800 lights going to 10 Christmas hits!” says Lee Machado. “The show includes a lot of homemade props, including eight arches, four 5-foot stars and a 20-foot, 16-channel mega-tree. Also, a 4-foot-tall singing Christmas tree.” The lights are on Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10. Can’t get by? Lee has video of the home on YouTube.
3124 Esta Ave. This Victorian home is all aglow, and a home across the street on Esta has lots of decorations. There are more lovely lights outside homes on nearby Millbrook Avenue.
Cordero Court. “This year, we have four out of five houses decorated and think within another week, we will have all five,” a resident tells us. “One house with a lot of blow-ups, one featuring Christmas trees, the others with snowmen. Passersby enjoy driving through.”
1129 Yellowstone Ave. Martha J. Martine tells us this home, decorated by her son, Kristopher, is an outstanding example of creative planning and strategic artistry, using 50 live poinsettias and old-fashioned filament lights to heat the root base of the plants. “These plants are nestled in three tiers surrounding a fountain and two small palms,” she says. “Lights of different colors frame both fences in front and the rooftop of the home. ... There are no giant front lawn neon displays or rooftop paraphernalia. This is quality subtlety using live materials to accentuate the flowers’ beauty.”
741 Empire Ave. “My parents decorate their house every single year!” reader Elsa tells us.
321 N. Santa Ana Ave. With lighted wreaths in every front window, and lights around tree trunks and draped from limbs, this house gives off a glorious glow.
Sylvan Avenue at McReynolds Avenue. This large property is populated by many Santas and snowmen but also remembers “the reason for the season” with a lighted peace symbol and cross.
1217 Chehalem Drive. This house off Coffee Road near Downey High has Santa, the Nativity, a snowman, the Nutcracker and more.
Roselle Avenue, between Planeview and Claribel. Connie Gilbert tells us there’s a beautifully decorated country home there.
Shelter Cove Community Church, 4242 Coffee Road. Yes, God’s house is decked out for Christmas, too. The Home for Christmas Light Experience includes “a massive light tunnel, Christmas tree lane, and more, all set to music.” It’s a drive-through show, offered 6 to 9 p.m. nightly. Reservations are required for Friday and Saturday nights and can be made at sheltercovelive.com/christmas. “Before you head to the show, download the Shelter Cove Christmas App so you can enjoy this immersive experience,” the church says on Facebook. “Simply go to the app store and search ‘Shelter Cove.’”
Oakdale
- Atlas Court. Several readers said the court is a must-see. “My family loves going there every year, and it goes into the first week of January,” says Kim Chavez. It’s so fun, and you tune your radio to a station to hear the music that goes with the dancing lights.” All or nearly all the homes in the long court participate, and a recent night had a steady stream of drivers and pedestrians checking it out. “You’ll be amazed,” promises reader Ann Crossman. As a bonus, many homes in the area around Atlas court also are beautifully decorated.
Ceres
- Christmas Tree Lane. COVID canceled the Christmas Festival this year, but the lane, known the rest of the year as the area of Henry and Vaughn streets, still has been transformed into a winter wonderland of lights and sounds. It can be enjoyed by vehicle or foot (social distance, everyone!) through Dec. 31.
The home at the northeast corner of Myrtlewood and Lavon Lane .
Turlock
- Zephyr Court. Her court really has Christmas spirit, says Liliana Kim. “We are conveniently located a half mile from the (Fields of Ice) ice skating rink. There is snow in the court from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and occasionally Santa and his elves drop by. “
- Light of Christ Lutheran Church, 4510 Crowell Road. The Rock’n Christmas Drive-In, presented by The Rock Church, is free and runs from 6-9 p.m. nightly. The program lasts about 15 minutes and is on repeat.
Hughson
- Mariposa Drive. Resident Kevin Cloherty says he and three neighbors “go all out, but a good number of others also light up their yards on our one-block street.” His home, 2037 Mariposa, features a 19-piece Nativity scene, eight candy canes and a life-size Santa Claus, all handmade. “My Santa is more than 30 years old and the original Nativity (Mary, Joseph, Jesus and manger) is 12 years old,” Kevin says. All the other figures were built in the past two years.
Salida
- 4712 White Willow Road. “Drove by the other day and it’s decorated quite nicely,” Kent Winter-Huskins tells us.
For additional recommendations, check out a website created by Oakdale resident Kodi Fletcher, ChristmasLightGuide.com. “Anyone with a decorated house or business can sign up for free and add their information to the site and manage how it is displayed,” Fletcher said in an email. “They can upload photos, start and end date of the show, it displays their Facebook page news feed, and much more. A regular user can log in and bookmark their favorite displays so they can visit them.”
The Bee hopes no submissions were overlooked. If you’d like to add a home, just email the address to jfarrow@modbee.com. We’ll update as new entries come in.
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
