There’s nothing quite like seeing elaborate, fantastic Christmas
displays in a neighborhood to put people in the holiday spirit.
By Aaron Carnes
There’s nothing quite like seeing elaborate, fantastic Christmas displays in a neighborhood to put people in the holiday spirit.
Fortunately, there are plenty of finely decorated houses in Gilroy that will keep holiday revelers more than satisfied this Christmas season. The best part about them isn’t the dazzling array of lights, but the homemade creations many Gilroyans have devoted countless hours making.
People know Bonnie and Richard Zander’s display on 7400 Miller Ave. mostly for their wooden Santa and reindeer display in their front yard. Richard, a woodworker, made each piece by hand while his wife Bonnie painted them.
“This is a labor of love. Little kids come over and want to have their pictures taken with Santa and his sleigh,” Bonnie said.
It takes a lot of time to put it together. Every year, the Zanders take Thanksgiving week off from work to get everything ready. This also includes the inside of their house.
“People love that it’s homemade and that it has character,” Bonnie said.
Over on 6595 Monterey Road, Georgina Chuck first took an interest in decorating her yard years ago when her oldest grandchild was just a little kid.
“There’s nothing as awesome as kids that believe in Santa Claus,” Chuck said.
Originally she made just Santa and Mrs. Claus using chicken wire and bicycle frames. They can still be seen to this day, sitting down on the front porch. Her grandkids loved it, but so did the rest of the community.
“A lot of people will drive through. The kids will get so excited. That’s the magic of Christmas,” Chuck said.
Ruben Trujillo on 621 La Sierra Road isn’t satisfied putting up the same display every year. First he decides on a theme then builds around it.
His personal favorite was a few years back when it was “The Carnival.” People to this day still ask him to bring that one back, which he’s considering.
This year the theme is golf. There are elves and other Christmas characters teeing up around his yard.
“My kids suggested I do a sports theme because they hadn’t seen anyone else do it,” Trujillo said.
Then there is Michael Osler’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” on 731 Lexington Place. His presentation is a 16-minute-long program that is accompanied by music, perfectly synchronized to the lights. The juxtaposition of the music, lights and wooden displays tells a story with a sense of humor. “Four calling birds” is shown as four birds on the phone for instance.
“It goes way beyond what you normally see. It’s all my warped sense of humor,” Olser said.
He made his winter visual wonderland all by himself. The community’s response has been overwhelming. One woman told him, “You restored my faith in Christmas.”
View Local holiday lights in a larger map
Do you have a home that is lit up for the holidays? If so we would like to know. We want to see your creation. Send photos and the location of your home, and we’ll include it on our Christmas lights map online. You can even include photos if you have them. Send your house to ed****@****ic.com.
