The 10 Best Places to Look at Christmas Lights in 2022

For our family, one of our favorite Christmas Eve traditions is making a thermos of hot cocoa, grabbing some caramel corn, and piling into the old V6 sleigh to tramp through some of our favorite neighborhood Christmas light displays.

This year, our Christmas light coverage from contributors Joy Donovan and Marlin Weso spanned from Fort Worth’s Fairmount Historic District to Highland Park’s Armstrong Ave. and many points in between.

Here are nine of our favorite spots to sip cocoa and bask in all of the pretty lights:

10. Interlochen Estates

“What began as a marketing tool for a new subdivision has evolved — 47 years later — into a big gift to the community. In 1976, developer Robert Findlay and his wife Carole enticed potential buyers to their new neighborhood with lots and lots of decorations. The tradition continues with the neighbors paying tribute to the late Findlays by ensuring their home is as turned out as the others.”

9. Fairmount Festivus Celebration

“In 2014, the Fairmount National Historic District, particularly residents Brandon Garrett and his wife Christa, decided to add Festivus to the community’s holiday celebration. The Seinfeld-inspired faux holiday is celebrated around an undecorated aluminum pole where family and friends can air their grievances. The 1990s TV sitcom introduced the holiday, which has become an annual pop-culture fixture on Dec. 23. Some locations on the tour will have live performances.”

8. Burkman Family in Frisco

“The Burkman family of Frisco gained national acclaim after an appearance on ABC’s The Great Christmas Family Light Fight last year. The Burkmans’ display was one of 24 finalists in 2020 and it was shown in 2021. The display is a tradition they started decades ago when they learned that then-2-year-old Alex — the first of two sons on the autism spectrum — was captivated by Christmas decorations and bright lights.”

7. Diamond Loch in North Richland Hills

“Diamond Loch ‘is a sweet little neighborhood,’ says one of its newer residents, who’s happy to be part of a long tradition. Generations of families have kept the over-the-top decorations going since the early 1970s. ‘The neat thing about it is it’s kind of hidden away,’ said homeowners association president Kieran McMahon, himself a second-generation Diamond Loch resident. ‘You turn in, and it’s like its own theme park.’ New neighbors moving in happily join the holiday customs, often helping older residents decorate for the holidays. ‘There’s a lot of tradition here, and one of the bigger ones is always Christmas and the Christmas lights.'”

6. Deerfield in Northwest Plano

“Deerfield’s tradition is told by homeowner Robin Gailey on the HOA website: ‘When Deerfield was being built, it was considered by many to be too far north on Preston Road. There were only fields north of the intersection of Park and Preston. The builders wanted to get people into the neighborhood to look at the homes, so for three or four Christmas seasons, they offered the homeowners a $5,000 prize for first place, $2,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third place,’ Gailey wrote. ‘Also, there weren’t nearly as many families then as there are now so it was not unreasonable to win a prize. Several people got very competitive about it. People and pets were dressed in costumes and greeted people who drove through even giving out candy. Some people covered their lawns in cotton.'”

5. Trail Creek Drive in Fort Worth

“This light show is a solo act — a single house decorated by a single family. But, oh what a spectacle 60,000 LED lights in an animated display can be. For five years, the Nelson family — Knick, Diane, and sons Cody and Kyle — have treated the community to a coordinated show of colorful lights keeping time to the holiday favorites. ‘It’s a family thing we all do together,’ said Knick, claiming he can get the custom-built show displayed in a weekend. Tune into local station 99.9 FM, and listen while the lights dance, swirl, and jiggle. Light site-seers are welcome to park the car down the street, then dance on the sidewalk for a show more than 30 minutes long with more than a dozen holiday tunes and lots of pixels. Just don’t touch the lights or get on the lawn … accident prevention caution.”

4. Curry Christmas Chaos in North Richland Hills

“The eclectic mix of traditional-style Christmas lights and individually controlled RGB pixels have been delighting crowds for seven years in the neighborhood built in the 1950s. Mastermind Brett Curry controls 13,000 individual channels in his house and even more lights at his neighbor’s house across the street.  The lights are synchronized to radio station 89.9 FM with both traditional Christmas music, holiday classics, and a few ‘crowd pleasers’ thrown in for fun.”

3. The Grapevine Santa House

“What started out as a simple hobby became a massive collection in need of an audience. Lori and Louie Murillo first set out the molded Santa Clauses for viewing in 2020, skipped 2021, and then brought them back again this year. ‘Most of them are vintage, and I’m finding them in antique shops,’ said Louie. The kitschy finds totaled so many, the Murillos’ neighbors have allowed the decorations to spill onto their lawns. One adjacent yard features a nativity scene, and listeners to station 95.7 can hear the Murillo family reading the Christmas story. Both years the Murillos’ goal was to raise funds for GRACE, a Tarrant County non-profit benefiting those experiencing financial or medical crises. Donations in 2020 hit $58,000, and this year the $70,000 goal is within sight with the help of matching grants.”

2. Signature Illumination’s Installation on Armstrong Ave.

“In a fitting tribute to the site’s historic background, the homeowners at 3756 Armstrong Ave. commissioned a landscaping lights firm to install one of the more dynamic lights displays you’ll come across in the Park Cities.

Carrollton-based Signature Illumination Designs is behind this particular colorful display. Founder Scott Beverly directed a six-man crew to install 3,500 strings of lights (170,000 total) on about 130 trees and shrubs.”

1. Electric Lizzyland in Hollywood Heights

Some neighbors and neighborhoods wade into the pool of seasonal cheer. Then some dive straight into the deep end, head first. The latter would be Liz Simmons and Hollywood Heights. If you’ve never experienced Electric Lizzyland, well, you have not experienced the true spirit of Christmas. Simmons makes everything you see herself, and there is something new to discover each year. “I have things that pop into my head. I woke up one year at 2 in the morning and said I’m going to make dioramas. Then I wanted a taxidermy rat. Things hit me, and there I go.” You can enjoy Electric Lizzyland in Hollywood Heights at 714 Newell for a few more nights. Weather permitting, they are on from 6 to about 8:30 p.m.