MANY houses across the Sunraysia region have been decorated top-to-bottom with colourful lights and festive accessories.
The family team behind 3 Wattle Street’s display have been designing Christmas demonstrations for more than 20 years.
“Every year it has gotten bigger and bigger,” Danny Prescott said.
“For us it’s not about how much it costs, but how much enjoyment people can get out of it.
“One of our neighbours is in her nineties and she’s just wrapped about it.
“It’s really good to see a bit of Christmas spirit at the end of the day, it’s all about seeing that little lift in people.
“We can sit out here, have a few drinks and a chat with the Christmas carols on in the background, and you get to meet people who you’ve never met before.
“Our kids have little light up candy cane bowls and they hand them out to people of all ages.”
Mr Prescott said the display gets changed up a bit each year, with this year featuring a line of nutcracker soldiers, shooting stars, curtain lights, and even a North Pole sign made out of leftover Perspex.
“There’s a lot we’ve inherited or collected over the years but you don’t really need a lot to have a good display,” he said.
“For little kids, and even adults really, every show of lights means the world to them, you could have just a couple of strings off a gutter and still have a really nice layout.
“There’s no negativity in what you do because at the end of the day you’re helping to lift someone’s spirit.”
A map of the region’s Christmas lights can be found in Wednesday and Saturday editions of the Sunraysia Daily, or on the Mildura Rural City Council website.
To add your address to the map and be in the running for, or to vote for, the $500 Best Decorated House prize, visit mildura.vic.gov.au/lights.
