Hearthstone Holiday Lights Contest Details

November 30 2023

The 2023 Holiday Lights Contest sponsored by the Hearthstone Garden Club is Saturday, December 9 (golf course side only) and Sunday, December 10 (everything else).

Judging begins at dark both nights.

This is a fun, friendly competition, there are no major awards… other than a temporary sign in your yard!

Winners

Winners will be notified in person (Garden Club Officers will knock on your door) to offer congrats and let you know what category you’ve won. Winners will be notified the evening of the judging. We’ll put a festive sign in your yard that will stay up until after New Year’s Day; you don’t get to keep the sign! After all the winners have been notified, the list will be published on the neighborhood facebook page and sent to the HOA.

Light Judging Criteria, Information and Pro Tips

Homes can win two years in a row, but not a third year in the same category.
Homes for sale are not eligible to win, as ownership is in flux.
Not included in the judging: The gated community or the townhomes by the country club, as they have separate HOAs.
The Hearthstone Garden Club sponsors this contest, and we are all volunteers. It takes a lot of time and effort to carry on this tradition… we’ve been doing this for decades!
Judges come from outside the neighborhood. They aren’t flown in from the North Pole… they’re just regular folks who volunteer and bring an unbiased opinion.
The golf course portion is judged Saturday night (Dec. 10) and only homes in view from the cart paths on the courses are judged. This is generally back yards. If the cart path is located far from your home, small details may not be visible.
This is a fun, friendly competition based on overall creativity and impact. Nobody is counting light bulbs or strings of tinsel to see who has the most. Having bigger/brighter/more doesn’t necessarily equal a win.
Hearthstone properties aren’t cookie-cutter constructed. We all have different size lots, different size houses and a wide variety of front doors and mailboxes. Make the most of your individual property! Creative use of space, effort and home-made décor can go a long way in attracting the judge’s attention.
There are only 12 awards (signs) for us to give out. ONLY 12. Every year, the judges tell us how hard it is to choose so few out of the hundreds of fantastic houses. Everyone involved with judging is a volunteer… with a good heart and a lot of cheer!

Final Details to Check

Double-check for burned out strings of lights; double-check yard decorations. Inflatables are particularly vulnerable to wind and changing weather conditions.
If you’re having a house or block party, don’t clutter the street or your lawn with a crowd, it’s distracting and blocks the judge’s view. Park your vehicles inside and remove trash bins; don't obscure your decor.

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