2018's most festive holiday light displays around Las Cruces

Cassie McClure, Special to the Sun-News
New Mexico: Christmas light pictured at a home located on Doña Ana Road in Las Cruces.

Las Cruces lights up during the holidays, with bright icicles, glowing inflated polar bears, nutcrackers bigger than houses, and so much more. It’s a chance for people’s creativity to be let loose in the Christmas spirit, but also a way for residents to connect to each other by sharing the joy of the season with each other.

Here is a list of some of the houses you don’t want to miss if you head out this holidays season:

3346 Ridgeline Drive

DIRECTIONS: Heading north on Main Street, turn left on Elks, immediately right on Lenox and left on Ridgeline Drive

If you’re wanting an in-town light show, the Whitlock family has display that not only use their front yard, but has spread to their good-natured neighbors. Drive by slow to tune your radio into their station to watch, among other things, palm trees light up.

4041 Stoneville Ct.

DIRECTIONS: From Carver Road, turn on Egyptian Street

After taking last year off, the Novak Family is back. They have an incredible light show, now with a screen tied into the music.

2665 Desert Drive

DIRECTIONS: Off North Solano Drive onto East Madrid Avenue, right on Desert Drive

This display is completely traditional, no inflatables, decked with twinkling snowflakes and wire-framed reindeer, angels and holiday well wishes on the garage door. Bonus, a display of holiday wiener dogs ready to pull the sleigh if Rudolph falls behind.

Nearby Honorable Mention: 1500 Mariposa Drive, large with inflatables and lights on as much as they have on their front yard.

2038 El Presidio

DIRECTIONS: Off Sonoma Ranch Blvd and Sonora Springs

It’s a treat to see up close what the entire neighborhood can see nightly from Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Take a second to get up close and see the lights and inflatables that have been steadily growing year by year.

Griggs Avenue

DIRECTIONS: West on Avenida de Mesilla, turn right onto Roberts Drive before the Valley Drive intersection

Right by Beverly Hills 1755 E. Griggs, corner of Griggs and Hermosa Street, is a great new light show not to be missed. At 1312 East Griggs, an entire house is a display, with moving doll carolers.

Sells Place

DIRECTIONS: North on Doña Ana Road, turn left on Lopez Road and left onto Sells Place

It’s a short side street off Lopez Road, slightly easy to miss if you’re driving too fast. It would be a shame to miss too as this is likely the best mostly homemade display in Las Cruces. From the entrance announcing the home of the Conners, you have holiday mannequins in a horse trough, a skeleton lit up in a truck and holiday figurines made from what seems like a guessing game of parts. It’s not to be missed.

Honorable Mention: All of Lopez Road is worth a drive; be careful with the faster cars at night.

Pictured is a home located at 3364 Ridgeline Drive on Saturday, Dec 8, 2018. The christmas light sync with music that you play on your car radio.

Canterbury Arc

DIRECTIONS: West on Union Avenue, right on McDowell Place, right on West Conway Avenue, left on Canterbury Arc

It’s a little hidden but keep trying to find this Arc in the roads outside Mesilla. One house is beautifully reverent, another is decked out with inflatables like my favorite: Santa climbing into a hot tub with Rudolph slowing popping out.

3930 Calle De Las Margaritas

DIRECTIONS: South on Main Street, right on Watson Lane at the light, left of Calle de Las Margaritas

“Mama Jessie’s Toyland” is up and running, and Mama Jessie is running out of room. She’s eyeing her neighbor’s lots as she has car inflatables, moving inflatables, and a little path where kids – and adults that are still kids at heart – will feel like they’ve stepped into another world.

4337 Doña Ana Road

DIRECTIONS: North on Doña Ana Road, passed Keelo Road

It there is anything on the list that’s worth the drive even if you’re doubtful, head out to the Martinez’s. They’ve made it a whole attraction for the family, with the upcoming weekends having both hot cocoa and a real Santa in his lit-up sleigh. Kids can even walk into a gingerbread house and adults may recognize the inside as a homage to Stranger Lights.

703 City View Dr.

DIRECTIONS: Off of Foothills Drive, behind Hooters

You’ve probably already even seen it off Lohman. It’s a light display that is so huge, that families come up to snap photos like a tourist attraction. Every year it’s tweaked just a little bit more, with new magical things to discover in the twinkling lights.

1308 Diana Maura Drive

DIRECTIONS: Heading north on Missouri, turn left on Glady Drive, left on Montana Ave, and right on Diana Maura (behind Conlee Elementary School)

Roll down your window to hear their music and mix in fun inflatables with the Nativity scene and a large blue cross on the top of the house.

2825 Huntington Drive

DIRECTIONS: Corner of Huntington Drive and South Telshor Blvd., by Memorial Medical Center

Traditional and classic, it’s an easy access with a quiet street for viewing.

1135 N. Virginia

DIRECTIONS: Off Spruce by the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library

It’s the Snoopy house, decked out in in holiday glory. Check out how many Snoopy’s you can count!

3984 Tiger Woods Drive

DIRECTIONS: Off of University Avenue, driving east toward Dripping Springs

Do you need huge inflatable nutcracker in your life? You got it here. This display has music, so roll down your window to hear it.

Chrismas light pictured at a home located on Doña Ana Road Saturday, Dec 8, 2018.

5140 Noche Bella Loop

DIRECTIONS: South on Las Alturas Drive, turn left on Telbrook Road and left on Noche Bella Loop

Their big star can be seen from the other side of the loop and this year there is music that has the front display dancing.

Honorable Mentions:

1035 E Poplar

4181 Capistrano

1125 Mulberry

Cassie McClure is a freelance writer and may be reached at cassiemcclure@gmail.com.

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