Christmas lane provides cheer for another year

Written by Tracie Sullivan
November 28, 2016
Christmas Lane lights turn on Thanksgiving Weekend for the holiday season. Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 26, 2016 | Photo by Tracie Sullivan, St. George / Cedar City News
Christmas Lane turned on their lights Thanksgiving Weekend for the holidays. Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 26, 2016 | Photo by Tracie Sullivan, St. George / Cedar City News
Christmas Lane lights turn on Thanksgiving Weekend for the holiday season. Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 26, 2016 | Photo by Tracie Sullivan, St. George / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY – From a high-tech computer projection of Santa Claus to old-fashioned holiday charm, Christmas Lane in Cedar City goes all-out for the holidays year after year, and this year is no exception.

For six years, Dennis and Kim Almond along with several of their neighbors have been bringing joy to thousands of families and children in Southern Utah with their festive neighborhood display they have coined Christmas Lane.

Christmas Lane opened this past weekend with the annual turning on of the Christmas lights to reveal decorations and lifesize storyboards that tell the story of “The Night Before Christmas,” also known as “A Visit from St. Nicolas.”

The entire community was invited to the event that was complemented with a visit from Santa Claus, hot chocolate, cookies and the Canyon View High School Madrigals as carolers.

The annual Christmas Lighting is held the day after Thanksgiving and usually brings in about 500-700 people but this year there were nearly 1,000 attendees, Kim Almond said.

Each year the neighborhood display grows with different decorations. Last year the neighbors introduced four additional storyboards at the end of the lane that were wrapped all through the holidays. On Christmas morning, they were unwrapped to reveal another part of the story that has been included again.

House number 16 on Christmas Lane comes alive with the magic of Christmas with a new life-like computer projection of Santa Claus. Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 26, 2016 | Photo by Tracie Sullivan, St. George / Cedar City News
House No. 16 on Christmas Lane comes alive with the magic of Christmas with a new lifelike computer projection of Santa Claus. Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 26, 2016 | Photo by Tracie Sullivan, St. George / Cedar City News

This year, the magic of Christmas comes alive even more with a surprise high-tech computer projection of Santa Claus at House No. 16. The image inside the upstairs window is so real it is sure to keep the younger children believing for one more year as they watch jolly ‘ole Saint Nick check his list twice and unload his bag of presents in the home.

“It’s so magical,” Kim Almond said. “It was such a fun surprise for us and I know the community is going to just love it. It’s so real you feel like you’re watching Santa Claus in that window.”

Many Iron County residents have come to make Christmas Lane part of their traditions as they tour the neighborhood Christmas Eve. For Kim Almond, this is the night she knows it was all worth the time and work that went into it as she sees the cars line up around the block.

“It’s a lot of work and we’re always working on it through the year so even as we put away this year’s decorations we’ll planning for next year,” she said. “But when I see the lights line up in front of the houses Christmas Eve, it just makes it all worth the work and the time that goes into it. I don’t know what would happen if we didn’t do this one year because it’s become a tradition for so many.”

To make Christmas Lane part of your must-see light tour, turn east off of Main Street at 1045 North and follow the road as it winds around, passes Fairway Drive and arrives at a roundabout – there you’ll see the lights to the north.

The route is a circle with four streets making the connection. Follow it clockwise, turning right on Canyon View Drive then left onto Rideway Drive, Hillview Drive and Parkside Drive. For a different view, drive up on Fairway Drive to the west and from there you’ll be able to look down on the neighborhood.

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @tracie_sullivan

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tracie is an award-winning investigative reporter. She has been published in several publications including the Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Spectrum and Daily News, Elan Woman, and New West. During her career, Tracie has covered various beats including education, politics, crime, courts, cops, government, lifestyle, arts and entertainment, and environmental issues. She is known for her fairness and integrity as a reporter.

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1 Comment

  • .... November 28, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    This is absolutely a fantastic way to spend time with friends and loved ones and enjoy the lights and people that are there with families and friends taking pictures and having a wonderful time !

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