Whether you’re on a county road in the boonies or cruising down U.S. Highway 160, when you’re driving around Montezuma County after sundown in December, you’re bound to come across homes adorned in lights and figurines for the holidays.
“Decorating our yard seemed a fun way to share the holidays with our neighbors and whomever may drive by and see it,” said Carol Lucero, who has decorated her home on South Maple Street in Cortez with her husband, Orly, for 33 years now.
“The children who came when we began are now bringing their children,” Lucero said.
Year in and year out, they add more and more decor to the yard; Lucero said their display has even inspired neighbors to decorate, so between Third and Fifth Street “we are pretty lit up.”
All ages stop by to enjoy the lights, which the Luceros light up the Saturday of the Parade of Lights, which was Dec. 7 this year, through New Year’s Day.
Some start decorating their homes for the holidays earlier.
Rhett Smith and his children, Corvin and Rowan, start building the figures that cover what seems like every square inch of their yard on North Dolores Road as early as Halloween.
Smith said they used to live in Farmington, and started decorating there in 2007.
“We did a Christmas Vacation thing across the roof, but we have a metal roof here, so we can’t do that anymore,” he said.
What they may lack in roof decor, they sure make up for in the yard department.
“It makes us happy,” said Smith. “A lot of people stop by, some send thank you cards. We’ve gotten a gift basket and even won the most enjoyable house award one year.”
The structures at the Smith residence are all built; there’s no blowups. When asked how long the setup took, he replied, “Oh god … above 100 hours.”
And how much it cost?
“There’s no budget,” said Smith. “Even if there was, I’d blow through it.”
He said they primarily do it for the community, for the passersby.
“As a kid, I’d always look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve,” said Smith. “I hope this house makes their night.”
Evan Sparks, 11, is motivated to decorate his home on Third Street in Cortez and his grandma’s house out on Road M for the same reasons.
“I like seeing people happy about it,” Sparks said.
“Every night, there’s constantly people slowing down to look. He loves when people enjoy it,” said his aunt, Ashley Yarbrough.
The home decorations on Road M glow like a beacon in the night.
An army of blowups, figurines and lights bring the whole property to life; the cars out front, the yard, the home, its roof – all of it decorated, exuding Christmas cheer.
And to The Journal’s surprise, two weeks before Christmas Day when Sparks was interviewed, he said it wasn’t finished yet.
It’s usually done by the week of Christmas, which is “just about perfect timing,” he said.
The desire to decorate started when Sparks’ aunt and grandma bought an inflatable of mice roasting marshmallows beside a fire; Sparks was caught from there.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life,” he said. “It makes the holidays more fun for me.”
He said he decorates for most every holiday, but Halloween and Christmas blow the others out the water. Since those holidays are so close to each other, it’s a challenge.
“I’m in such a rush,” said Sparks. “It’s nearly impossible to put it up in time.”
Other residents say it took them much less time to ornament their homes.
“It usually takes one afternoon,” said Jeff Carr, who decorates his home on Cedar Street with his wife. “We do the blowups first and then we do the other lights.”
On a fairly dark street, Carr’s house stands out as one that is meant to bring a smile to passersby. People notice the variety of characters in their yard, which includes Darth Vader and Baby Yoda, a manger scene, snowmen and Santa.
“The neighbors cheer,” Carr said.
The Carrs’ home isn’t the only one in Cortez that can be seen from a ways down the street; a home on West Seventh Street can, too.
That home, which is covered in blue light from top to bottom, features an angel at the door, giant Santa on the front lawn and a lifelike Grinch peering out the chimney.
The house not only offers a beautiful drive-by view, but Allen, the homeowner, shared there’s a special guest appearance, too.
“On Christmas Eve, we usually have my father-in-law come out and dress like Santa and hand out candy canes,” Allen said.
Santa will be there from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 24.
Though the decoration of the entire home had to have been a challenge, it took two days to complete. Allen said the most difficult part was decorating the roof.
Despite the difficulty, visiting the home felt like stepping into the North Pole, and it will transport all who visit.
Some decorations transport those to the North Pole, others the island of misfit toys, a winter wonderland, or maybe they’re ghosts of a Christmas past.
The antique firetruck parked outside the Dolores Fire Protection District transports lookers to another time entirely.
The Dolores Town Board agreed to buy the truck in 1934 for $1,400, according to a Colorado Restless Native blog that tells the truck’s story.
In response to the purchase, The Dolores Star said it was “one of the finest pieces of firefighting apparatus of any of the towns in the Basin.”
The truck served Dolores for 20 years or so, until they sold it to Pleasant View. That department sold it back to Dolores in 1960 for the low, low price of $325, the blog said.
In 2007, the fire chief at the time, David Doudy, and others in the department decided to restore it, a project that cost $2,500 in materials and 450 hours of labor.
“It’s quite the story,” said Dolores Fire Chief Kim Jones. “I love that truck.”
Usually the truck is in storage because it’s “not drivable,” but the district decided to bring it out for the Parade of Lights in Cortez this year and haul it on a trailer through the festive procession.
“I figured, why not leave it out in front of the station,” Jones said.
After the holidays, it’ll go back into storage, but a retired Dolores firefighter who restores antique cars said he’ll work on the truck and try to get it running again- “not to use as a running engine,” of course, Jones said.
Whether the decorations around town bring you to the North Pole, the 1930s or to another place entirely, it’s safe to say those who put them up are hoping you enjoy them. Happy Holidays!
