About the Tacky Christmas Lights List

YOU keep this site going
with your submissions of new displays and information.

If you see other local displays you would recommend,
please email me at hollyween@hotmail.com with the address so I can check it out and add it to the list.

HOLLY Answers a Few Basic Questions

Q: Why do you do this?

A: I get so much joy from viewing Tacky Christmas lights. They bring me excitement and peace at the same time. It's the kind of joy you want to share with others. I guess I'm just a kid at heart.

Q: Do the owners give you permission to be put on your site?

A: No. I do not ask permission to include anyone. However, if a homeowner wishes to be removed from the list, I will do so without hesitation.
Read the Open Letter to Homeowners on this site.

Q: How do you determine who gets on the list?

A: Getting on the list is totally based on my subjective opinion. I know the moment I see it. I do have an Honorable Mentions page for submitted address that don't quite "hit me" as I know they might appeal more to others.

Q: What types of displays do you like best?

A: If I told you that, I'd have an avalanche of submissions from people decorating based on my preferences. (I found out last year that making it on my list is quite coveted by some.) I prefer decorators decide for themselves.

Q: Are you on the list?

A: No. I do a big Halloween display instead. Below are pictures of my Christmas decorations, mild by comparison.

December 2006: This list made me famous. I was interviewed and rebroadcast on radio discussing the lights and an article featuring "yours truly" was published by the local Fairfax Connection newspaper. I also accepted a few invitations from some extremely generous people to join their holiday parties. I was treated as the local celebrity by some. Quite uplifting. But the fame ceased after the lights were off. It's the best kind of fame, short-lived. Link to article

My line at the parties: "Hi, I'm Holly of Holly's Tacky Christmas Lights...".
Followed by either a blank stare or a gasp of recognition followed by lots of bubbly conversation. It's a treat to find out first hand how your efforts have pleased others.
The most uplifting story was from an assistant at a nursing home who said the home rented a bus to drive the residents around to see the lights based on my list.

Me in the Wills Street yard 2006

Hi from Holly,

I'm a Washington D.C. native. I've lived in Fairfax since 1981 and in my current home since 1991.

This is the history of this site.

I discovered my first Fairfax Tacky lights when working in McLean and taking back/neighborhood roads to and from work due to traffic on the main roads. (...and it's only gotten worse but, let's not go there...) There was a home on Pimmit Road that had the most unique decorations. Each item in the yard was a home-made, painted wooden character or scene. Many were animated. As the years went by he continue to add new items every year. Also, the Pimmitt Hills community started having a contest and this brought out more extravagant displays.

Then I found out that the now-defunct Fairfax Journal ran a Tacky Lights issue every year around Dec. 20th. I discovered many more Tacky lights. The joy these lights bring to my heart and soul is overwhelming.

While attending NVCC in 2001 I took a web development class. We had to create a web site as the final project. I decided to create a personal site. As part of that effort I put up a small page about the Tacky lights I knew of and would recommend with photos. I felt good about being able to share the joy of these lights with others. I didn't pay much attention to the page the first two years. I would receive a few email around Christmas and by the second year there were mostly asking for directions.

The third year I added links to Yahoo! Maps for each address. This eliminated the emails requesting directions. Still I received even more email and I wondered how much exposure my page was actually getting. I put a hit counter on it in mid December 2003. The number of hits and emails indicated to me that this list was being used as a legitimate reference to local light displays. I quickly updated it with new photos and information, but I had no new homes to add. I added a Christmas Lights Shows page. I started thinking about how I could make the site more useful.

In 2004 I added a print page of the list that had only addresses, a very brief comment and the map. Some of the display owners have told me they spoke to folks who had this page with them. That confirmed it. My web page was a local resource. Since I hadn't added any new homes I decided to solicit site visitors to submit homes they would recommend I add to the page. Finally the list started to grow.

Over 2005 and 2006 I've been very busy at Christmas time, driving around checking out homes, taking pictures and updating the lights pages. I have wanted to update the page design and add functionality but didn't have the time.

In 2007 I finally had a reason to update the site. For my final class in pursuit of my B.S. degree in Information Technology from Strayer University, I had to develop a real-world project using a database from start to finish. I choose to move the Christmas pages off my personal web site and make them a stand-alone website. The main pages are database-driven and use server-side scripting. I've also added some user functionality: allowing the visitor to select/sort the list; to vote for their favorite display; and to rate each display. I'm very pleased with the result.

I hope you like the improvements and continue to help me keep this list alive and growing.
May your days and nights be merry and bright,

Holly