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Orangeville Christmas Nite-Lights Patrol underway, top 100 list under construction

December 5, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

The holiday season is in full swing and homeowners across Orangeville are getting into the festive spirit.

To celebrate Orangeville residents’ love for decorating their properties with Christmas lights and displays, the Orangeville Christmas Nite-Lights Patrol is currently building its Top 100 List for this year.

The list, last updated on Dec. 4, can be viewed on the Orangeville Christmas Nite-Lights Patrol Facebook page, under pinned posts. It already has 58 addresses listed and more will be added as people message the page with submissions.

There are five award categories for participating houses – best roof, best-decorated tree (single tree), best-decorated trees (multiple trees), best home overall for brightness, sweet street and people’s choice.

The Orangeville Christmas Nite-Lights Patrol was founded in 2020 and has run an annual contest over the holidays since then. The contest promotes and showcases properties with great Christmas decorations in the community.

The Orangeville Christmas Nite-Lights Patrol Facebook page is up to nearly 1,800 followers and is a good resource for anyone trying to see all the best holiday displays in Orangeville.

Michelle Hartley, who created and runs the Facebook page, also founded the Orangeville Hallowe’en Haunt Patrol, which lists the best-decorated houses leading up to Oct. 31. She runs both pages with her son Zac.

“We started posting ‘The List’ just a few days after Nov. 11. Between the Halloween events and Remembrance Day, I get a bit of break and reenergize for the Christmas fun. The mild weather this year certainly allowed a lot more folks to decorate earlier than usual, but still, I will never begin the Christmas page until after Remembrance Day, that is important to me,” said Hartley.

“In early November, just by happen-chance, I drove down Edelwild Dr. and came across several homes beautifully displaying unique Veteran Flags, several homes had red lights behind the flags and the glow of the display was mesmerizing, quite overwhelming to be honest. It was really breathtaking.”

Although Orangeville Christmas Nite-Light Patrol is in its fifth year, it is only in its second year of offering competitive award categories.

“I kind of had no choice but to create the competition – the request for it was huge,” joked Michelle.

Judging of homes on the list in all four categories will run from Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. to Dec. 24 at 5 p.m.

The public can vote live on the Facebook page for the people’s choice winner. 

F.N. Good Burgers has sponsored the Orangeville Christmas Nite-Light Patrol’s People’s Choice Award and will provide the winner with a $50 gift certificate.

“I’m so very fortunate to host this event. It all came together without a real plan, things just fell into place – in fact they keep falling into place. Last year, I had a request from a mom if I could arrange a few Christmas Carols to be sung in her driveway for her child who had been ill and had just returned home from Sick Kids Hospital. Within days of posting for help to make this happen, we had 85 carolers, songbooks and a guitarist play as we sang on Dec. 23, [2023] to six-year-old Jesse and his family,” said Hartley.

“That idea would never have come to me, but having Jesses’ mom reach out – I see that it was meant to be. We will definitely do that again this year if there is a need, probably around Dec. 20 to 22.  I am open to suggestions of who to sing to. If anyone knows of a person or family who we should consider for a Christmas Carol gathering, please message me on the Orangeville Christmas Nite-Light Patrol Facebook page.”

Hartley shared that she loves the great variety of displays, from vintage heirloom pieces painted by grandparents like on 183 Elaine Dr. and 69 Hunter Rd., to a White Christmas Classic at 11 Zina St.

There are also “Bring your Sunglasses” displays on 2 Brighton Pl., 8 Chapman Rd., 10 Parklane, 30 Westdale Ave. and 26 Pheasant Ct.

“Not to mention Jackpot Sweet Streets like Balsam St., where it seems like every other yard and home has got festive flair to share,” Hartley enthused.

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