Best Christmas Light Displays In Boulder County

1. Click here to pull up the 2017 best place for Christmas lights from Daily Meal
2. Fill in the blanks with that place.

BOULDER, CO -- Jolly red Santas. Dancing green Christmas trees. Snow white reindeer. The holiday season is ramping up and elaborate Christmas light displays are popping up across the country. In Boulder County, Longmont has some of the most lauded displays. If you’re one of the many parents who’d rather drive your kids to the nearest Clark Griswold-esque house rather than climb onto the roof and staple 10,000 tiny lights to your house, you’re in luck.

The good folks over at ChrismasLightFinder.com have built an easy way to see the best Christmas light displays near you. For your convenience we’ve rounded up a few of them in Boulder County.

• Lakelights: Animated Christmas Display
  • 3547 Lakeshore Dr., Longmont, CO (display is across the street from listed address)
  • Description: This extravagant display is fully animated to music broadcasting from 95.1 FM. Tune in your car radio to hear the accompaniment, and visit lakelights.net on your phone to vote on which song should play next. The operators request that visitors turn off their engines and headlights as a courtesy to neighbors.
• Christmas Light Explosion
  • 2461 Mapleton Cir., Longmont, CO
  • Description: A sparkling lawn party packed with friendly inflatables behind a candy-cane picket fence.
• Christmas on 20th
  • 1620 20th Ave., Longmont, CO
  • Description: Tune your radio to 107.7 to hear the accompaniment to this display, which packs all of the cheer that can fit into a single neighborhood lawn, put on by the Lee family as a "gift to the community."

Of course if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you may take a road trip to Denver's Botanic Gardens, whose spectacle was named the single best Christmas light display in Colorado last year by the Daily Meal. Here’s what the report had to say about the display:

“Nearly 24 acres of the Denver Botanic Gardens are lit up every year for their Blossoms of Lights. The interactive light display in the UMB Amphitheater is a guest favorite, as is the truly magnificent O'Fallon Perennial Walk. Despite frigid temperatures, this annual tradition is a perfect winter date.”

Many of the best Christmas light displays share familiar themes. You’ll see many illuminated snowmen, more than a couple Rudolph’s with shiny red noses and quite a few candy canes. But some take a unique spin on the holiday. In Caldwell, Idaho, event organizers create a “Winter Wonderland.” Brilliant blue, green and red lights cover trees and immerse festivalgoers in the spirit of the season. Look closely and you’ll even see Santa fishing in a stream.

You’ll also see some inspiring houses. Take last year’s “Lights on Suter” display in North Haledon, New Jersey. Each year the Tomasi family creates a light display. Last year, it was set to the tune of Llama by the band Phish. The family has also created a display based on the film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The “West Chester Griswolds” in Pennsylvania have a light display have a holiday-themed display up already with more than 100,000 lights. The display, which is completely controlled by computers, features a massive Christmas tree, dozens of icicles and numerous holiday characters.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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Photo Credit: Renee Schiavone/Patch