Gilroy is never brighter than over the holidays. Touring around town revealed some cool Christmas displays. Have suggestions for more? Post them on gilroydispatch.com.
First lawn, first lights
For Monique Martinez, a first-time holiday decorator, being able to display her collection of lights on her lawn was an early Christmas present. Martinez and her family have lived in Gilroy for seven years but this is the first year they’ve had a lawn to decorate. On Dec. 1, she lined her yard with candy canes accompanied by popular Disney characters. On her porch she put up a nativity scene. Next to it, a white Christmas tree that she says represents Jesus and his purity. She included red ornaments that represent his blood. She said she wants people to remember the reason the holiday exists. The nativity scene is located at 7641 Rosanna St.
Holiday cheers
Judy Masters, who lives downtown, went for the lights of Rudolph and Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
“The bay window is just perfect for decorating and in fact the person who had the house before me always decorated for Christmas as well,” said Masters, who has lived in Gilroy for five years. Behind the window are Rudolph, gifts, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus with a sleigh that Masters has had for over 10 years. The scene wouldn’t be complete without a tree and her collection of ornaments. “Christmas means family and faith. Enjoying each other. Cookies. Lots of baking and candy making,” said Masters. Mr. and Mrs. Claus can be seen on the corner of Fifth and Hanna streets.
LEDs and Lasers
Bob and Barbara Hogue have been decorating their home for more than 40 years. They are big Christmas fans. They start thinking about their decorations months in advance, changing things up a little bit every year. Bob takes care of the outside. This year he went with LED lights and lasers that he set up in October. Barbara takes care of the inside. She has more than 50 Santa figurines throughout the house, two fully decorated trees, reindeer, snowflakes, and stockings. “It’s inspirational, once it’s up and I turn the lights on. It makes you feel good,” said Bob. They also decorate in memory of his son, who was a Christmas nut just like them. He jokes that if he forgets to bring down the outside lights in January he might just leave them up for all of 2016. The lasers can’t be missed from the corner Fourth and Monte Vista.
Modern Classic
“We enjoy doing it because the neighbors like it and it makes people happy,” said Cathy Barbosa, who’s lived in Gilroy for more than 50 years. “They actually stop here and leave little gifts on the door sometimes. We have a lot of comments from people going by and telling us how much they enjoy it.” Barbosa and her husband, Ruben Reyes, get lots of attention for their classically lit home. They started off with reindeer and Christmas trees 15 years ago. As the neighborhood grew, people still seemed to recognize the house at 8698 Delta Dr. Every year they try to add something new. Among family and friends they’re known as the house with all the Christmas decorations. They will keep decorating for as long as they can.
Country Lights
In the outskirts of Gilroy, the lack of neighbors doesn’t stop Cesar Campoy from rolling out his inflatables. He started off with a few lights about 13 years ago when he first moved to Gilroy and hasn’t stopped since. To him, Christmas is about family traditions and bringing the family together. So he makes it a family event to decorate after celebrating Thanksgiving with his kids. The decorations are complete. Campoy said he hopes his family efforts bring smiles to people’s faces. To view his display, drive out to 11125 Columbet Ave.
