Take The 2023 Patch Tour o' Holiday Lights

ILLINOIS — They’re hauling out the holly, the plastic blow molds, LED lights and synchronized music from Cary to Oswego to Glencoe and all the way out to Peotone. Why? Because we all need a little Christmas.

We've rounded up the best reader-submitted residential holiday light displays in Chicagoland. From towering reindeer and illuminated pigs to the most outlandish Clark W. Griswold displays that can be seen from space, these spectacular light displays are definitely worth a drive-by.

A few of you got so excited that you forgot to include your address, so check your email. Send us some photos and/or links to videos of your Christmas light display. We prefer that the homeowner submit his or her own yard, or an immediate neighbor or close relative.

We’ll be updating the list with new displays every Friday through Dec. 24, so keep an eye on your daily morning newsletters and your favorite Patch Facebook pages. Email your photos and a description to lorraine.swanson@patch.com. Don’t forget to include your address and enjoy the 2022 Tour o’ Holiday Lights.

Set your GPS and explore displays near your town, or go completely nuts and visit all of them.

CHICAGO

1739 W 105th St., Chicago – White lights on a brick home in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. Lovely.

COOK COUNTY

Alsip

NEW! Camping Wonderland, 4505 W. 129th St., Alsip – Hello, mudda, hello, fadda! All the little woodland creatures have assembled in Joe and Terri Sparks’ holiday campground, which includes a camper, tent and animals making s’mores as they wait for Santa.

Bridgeview

NEW! Mr. Griswold of Bridgeview, 7416 S Octavia Ave, Bridgeview – Mr. Griswold of Bridgeview, aka as Jim Pavel, has moved back to his childhood home. His family has hung holiday lights for over 70 years, and he helped his grandfather set up lights as a kid. Mr. Griswold’s light display is a combination of store-bought and homemade decorations. A computerized light show is synchronized to several Christmas songs, broadcast on a radio station so you can enjoy it from the warmth of your car. Over the years, he's added a quartet of singing Christmas trees. The display runs nightly from 4 to 10 p.m.

Chicago Ridge

The Valenti Family Christmas Light Display and Toy Drive, 6108 Washington St., Chicago Ridge – Tune up Andy Williams because it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Be sure to stop by and walk through the Valenti Family’s spectacular Christmas display. Take a picture as the Grinch or Cindy Lou Who. Check out the Frozen Castle and characters. For our Marvel Fans, Black Panther and Iron Man have been added to our display! While you're enjoying the lights don't forget to bring a new unwrapped toy to share Christmas Magic with a Neighbor in Need! We will be donating to St.Vincent de Paul Chicago and Advocate Children's Hospital Winter Wonderland.

Crestwood

Candy Cane Lane, 4951 W. 135th Place, Crestwood – Enjoy the beautiful lights and holiday music playing while walking under snowing archways.

Garden Homes (Alsip)
3821 W 116th Place, Garden Homes (Alsip) – Gail and Richard Mayo answer the call for a light fight with their impressive display, complete with Santa skeleton. With so many decorations, your eyes will have a hard time choosing where to look.

Evergreen Park

NEW! 9811 S. Spaulding Ave., Evergreen Park – Eddie Hemphill, his mom and grandma LOVE Christmas. Eddie has been decorating the outside of their house since he was a teen. “I really started wanting to do more when I noticed how much joy it was bringing to families that drove by and got to make memories with our display.”

Hazel Crest

2403 Crescent Dr, Hazel Crest – Merry Grinch-mas! Come visit Whoville in Dan Porter's charming display.

LaGrange

The JOY Project, 916 S. Ashland Ave., LaGrange – The Kwak family’s display is open daily from 5 to 10:30 p.m. with holiday music playing. Since 2020, the Kwak have included a non-perishable food collection in a JOY bin next to the parkway. To date, they have collected and donated over 15,000 items to local food pantries during the holiday season. The lights are on from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On the weekends, there are candy canes for the kids hanging along the lighted candy cane archway. Due to popular demand, the Kwaks have an Amazon wish list for those who prefe to ship donation items directly.

LaGrange Park

NEW! A Very Colossal Inflatable Christmas, 1201 Alima Terrace, LaGrange Park – If you’re headed to see Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic, be sure to stop by the Foushi family’s Very Colossal Inflatable Christmas. It’s the largest display of inflatables in the Brookfield Zoo area. The festive wind bags are up 24/7, depending on wind conditions. To get the full effect, check out the YouTube video. Big Mike thinks he may have overdone it this year. We love the Perry Como holiday soundtrack.

Northfield

1655 Orchard Lane. Northfield – Charles Orth’s majestic display features lights wrapped around tree limbs and a candy cane border. He uses combination of big ladders and a homemade device to get way up there.

Oak Forest

Dino Meteor Christmas a.k.a Last Christmas, 5519 Adeline Place, Oak Forest – Take your dinosaur loving kids to this display. “You can’t help but laugh seeing a T-Rex with antlers, or another who got a stuffed bear from Santa, who is now seated on a flying dinosaur. The song that comes to mind is George Michael’s Last Christmas due to Meteor Lights coming in from behind.” Turned on daily by 10 a.m. Stays on until 9:30 p.m. Display will continue through Jan. 1.

Oak Lawn

Plude Lane, 9602 S 54th Ave., Oak Lawn – Tune your radio to 88.7 FM and listen to the music as you watch your favorite Christmas movies.

9224 S Tripp Ave, Oak Lawn — Larry Tripp has been lighting up his house for years. His display has grown over the years, but so have the trees. “I do this without ladders, so my reach is limited, although I did use one to get on top of house.” We’re glad Larry isn't climbing trees, and so is his wife, Mary Kay. Larry's backyard looks pretty fabulous too. “This is my favorite time of year. We tend to overdo it a bit but I take pride in this and it is humbling and also brings joy when I see cars out front that slow down and occasionally stop to check out our display,” says Larry.

Inflatable Wonderland, 8917 S 49th Ave., Oak Lawn – Time to call an inflatable war! Kelly Meehan’s display features 20 inflatables, dancing lights, music, blow molds and other fun yard decor. Lights twinkle from 4 to 10:30 p.m.

Christmas Corner, 94th Street and Mobile Avenue, Oak Lawn – Need an instant shot of holiday spirit? Hurry over to Christmas Corner in Oak Lawn, now in its 22nd year. You’ll find inflatables of every shape and size, a talking snowball, Star Wars area, Rudolph section, traditional Christmas, Marshall Field Christmas windows and Disney, all lit up by tens of thousands of LED lights. Rick and Care Herpich have been setting up their display since moving to their corner house at 94th Street and Mobile Avenue in 2001. Rick is the designer behind the lavish display. He uses pictures from the year before, so he knows where to put stuff the next year. They’re still putting up stuff.

Orland Hills

16551 Brigitte Court, Orland Hills — Welcome to the Krueger Christmas Light Show where the trees talk and sing. Tune into 90.3FM on your car radio and enjoy the show. The lights start twinkling from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m. Friday.

Orland Park

NEW! 15441 Sunset Ridge Drive, Orland Park – John Quinn offers up his amazing collection of blow molds. At last tally, John counted 383 blow molds, 97 tinsel light figures, seven inflatables, 70 gum drops, trees, music and more. We don't know he has any geese-a-laying.

NEW! 14601 Poplar Court, Orland Park — No inch of the Harske family’s lawn is left bare in this shiny display, which is covered by over 300 vintage and new blow molds, ruled by a 10-foot-tall snowman and Christmas tree. The newest addition is an 8-person choir. "A blowmold Christmas”, has been growing every year we love to see the joy and smiles it brings to everyone that comes and visits. With over 350 blowmolds on display, this display will take you back from the very first Christmas blow molds to the newest to date of all different varieties of Santa’s, Snowman, Disney characters and even a choir. Come out and see what we have added this year!" Lights are on every day from dusk to 11:30 p.m. The family has added some new ones. We think the Harkes should call a blow mold war with Patrick Coyne’s "Blow Mold Nation" in Tinley Park.

17404 Deer Creek Drive, Orland Park – Ralph and Yvonne Shurley are a popular stop on the Patch scary yard tour. Their Christmas display is equally stupendous, featuring a giant dancing, singing snowman, gingerbread house, a huge nutcracker and custom Christmas arch.

Palos Heights

Palos Heights Lights, 6739 West Golfview Lane, Palos Heights – Mighty Joe Young’s Christmas light show synchronized to 30 minutes of popular Christmas songs, including some fun remixes. The display features over 15,000 lights, 10 leaping arches, a 4x8-foot matrix, a 7X16-foot Matrix garage matrix, 22-foot tall Mega Tree, 8 mini trees, 6 column matrices, 2,500 icicle lights, 120 LED glow lights, a pixel forrest with 60 stakes, and seven geese a-laying.

Palos Hills

“House On Broadmoor,” 10357 Broadmoor Drive, Palos Hills – Mark Piersma has lived in the House on Broadmoor his entire life and started the tradition of decorating the exterior of the home with his dad in the early 1990s, which quickly earned the reputation as the brightest on the block during the holidays. Each year, they kept adding more stuff, before Piersma took it to a new level. Over 5,000 twinkling Christmas lights deck the live tree inside the window. On the roof is another live tree, giving the illusion of a tree bursting through the roof. But the true show is the 187 vintage and contemporary plastic blow molds spread across the front lawn – Santa, Mrs. Claus (she really needs a first name), snowmen, choir boys, Nativity figures, gingerbread people, candy canes and much, much more. “My husband loves them. People give him blow molds for his birthday,” his wife, Elizabeth said. “If he sees one on the curb with the trash, he grabs it.”

Skokie

5024 Fargo Ave., Skokie – A synchronized light display extravaganza runs from 4:30 to 11 p.m. every night through the first weekend in January. Tune to 88.7 FM and watch the show from the warmth and comfort from your call.

South Holland

NEW! Music and Motion on Maple, 16706 Maple Street, South Holland – A delightful light show featuring beautiful dancing lights synced to music (90.7FM) from 5 to 10:30 p.m. until Jan. 3. The house is on a side room on a corner lot, so there is plenty of room to walk around and help yourself to a full bowl of Hershey Kisses and Candy Canes. David Simon and Colleen Piazza’s display was one of seven finalists on this year’s ABC 7 Chicago Light Fight.

Tinley Park

16409 Surrey Drive, Tinley Park — All we can say is Tinley Park is one brightly lit village. Timothy Bartz’s yard twinkles like tinsel with his elegant archways and walls of lights. We especially love the trippy psychedelic daisy holograms.

NEW! 7652 166th Place, Tinley Park – Frank Wagner’s display features a 7-foot-tall gingerbread house and holiday train.

Blow Mold Nation, 17037 Creekside Ave., Tinley Park —Omg! We love Patrick Coyne’s “Blow Mold Nation” in Tinley Park. His display features over 125 vintage blow mold figurines in his yard, presided over by a 20-foot tall inflatable Santa. He turns his kids’ play houses into display pieces. Patrick is still adding blow molds to his 2023 display, and keeps adding new pieces every year. The lights are on daily from 5 to 11 p.m.

7702 Hanover Drive, Tinley Park — This award-winning display done entirely by a 17 year-old junior in high school features a life -size sleigh with Santa and Jack Skellington for pictures, handmade decorations, mechanical doll window display, tunnel of lights, and lights dancing across the roof.

O’Connor Christmas Lights, 7414 W. 162nd Place, Tinley Park — Scott O’Connor was the winner of the 2021 ABC Chicago Lights War, and was among the 2022 finalists. He invites visitors to tune into 105.7 FM in their car and get out and look around. This year Scott is collecting donations for Project Fire Buddies.

NEW! Christmas Land, 7830 Whittington Drive, Tinley Park — Nick and Sheena Schuber’s mid-century display features over 5,000 lights and 200-plus blow molds, including the holy grail – a Jolly Polk Santa overlooking all the little blow molds. Their vintage Harold Gale Santa, an old window display figure, waves to everyone who passes the house. “Our display has been called by many as a mid-century display due to all the old vintage figures.” On select nights, Santa Claus is out front in his own Santa house to hear Christmas wishes from both young and old alike. Feel free to bring your camera and take pictures.

NEW! 17331 Osceola Ave., Tinley Park – If you need some outdoor decorating tips, talk to Ed Kulik. He’s been hanging lights since the 1970s, so step aside and watch a master at work.

NEW! 7702 Hanover Drive, Tinley Park – This award-winning display was done entire by a 17-year-old junior at Andrew High School. Eric Schaaf’s display features a life-size sleigh with Santa and Jack Skellington for pictures, handmade decorations, mechanical doll window display, tunnel of lights, and lights dancing across the roof. He spent most of the summer making cartoon cutouts.

8719 Kathleen Lane, Tinley Park – Jim Kuhn puts up a large display every Christmas. Highlights include a water scene and a helicopter with a flashing helipad as well as thousands of flickering lights and blowups.

Hirsch Christmas Lights, 7805 Nottingham Drive,Tinley Park – Be sure to stop by the winner of ABC 7 Chicago's "Light Fights." This year the Hirsch family has added Jori’s mom’s Christmas village, and an 8-foot Santa and reindeer on the roof. They have music synced to lights. Tune into 89.9 to listen. Get out and take a walk through the sidewalk arches. Take a photo with some movie character blow ups. Enjoy a candy cane from the bucket, and take a necklace, too. You never know when the Grinch will pop in. Lights twinkle 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

DUPAGE COUNTY

Addison

Holiday Cheer On Pioneer, 218 N. Pioneer Drive, Addison – Santa is sure to stop by this cheerful display. He and the missus will stop by to visit kids on some weekends. This year, the Garlamos are accepting donations for friends who are seeking IVF treatments so they have a chance to be parents, which they so much want to be. Unfortunately their insurance does not cover it and they have to pay 100 percent out of pocket. “Please consider this couple and give them a chance to receive the greatest Christmas gift of a child. Any donation is so much appreciated by our family and of Holiday Cheer on Pioneer.” Lights will be on from 5 to 10 p.m. weekdays, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, until January 6.

Darien

The Walkers, 7809 Farmingdale Drive, Darien — There are over 15k lights and 40 blow molds. "The goal was to create a house that I would have wanted to drive by every night. Growing up on the 90s gives a lot of credence to how I decorate. I don’t care for inflatables and there is something special about blow molds. I do have candy cane arches. And I like bright lights that make sense and isn’t cluttered. One year I will be able to get a synchronized light show but that will be in the future. "

Downers Grove

NEW! Winter Wonderland, 2308 College Road, Downers Grove – Diane Duncan’s whimsical holiday display has everything from inflatables and music for the family to enjoy to trees draped in white and blue lights. The yard twinkles from 5 to 9 p.m. daily through New Year’s Day, weather permitting for the inflatables. Diane tells us her whole block is crazy with lights.

Elmhurst

Mathias Family Christmas Spectacular, 355 Sherman Ave, Elmhurst – 4:30-9 every night. The display is a synchronized light show. The music will be transmitted over 90.5FM. The entire synchronized light show was conceived, choreographed, and programmed by 13-year-old Jade Mathias. Music will be transmitted over 90.5FM. Lights run from 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily.

413 East Huntington Lane, Elmhurst – Dr. Seuss himself would love Glenn McCarthy’s Grinch-y display, comprised of wooden cutouts and an authentic thirty-nine-and-a-foot pole! There is a nice light display too. “The first year all I put out was the pole and with the sign. Only 1 in 10 got it. The second year, I added Grinch and Max. This year I added the presents and ornament to Grinch and Max, the growing heart Xray and the roast beast feast.” The Grinch will be passing out treats to the little Who's that come by from 7:30-8:30 Friday and Saturday. Lights twinkle from 7 to 9 p.m. daily. We’re still laughing about the pole.

Hinsdale

425 … is Frozen, 425 E. Hickory St., Hinsdale – Bao and Laura Nguyen did a “Frozen” theme. They will have a photo op in front of the hours. Runs daily until midnight.

Winfield

Blow Mold Extravaganza, 0N068 Robbins St., Winfield – Kids ask their parents to drive by Ryan and Bridget’s massive collection of vintage blow molds. More decorations are added when the weather warms up. “My husband just loves to decorate and has really gotten into vintage blow molds for all the holidays but especially Christmas.”

Aurora Symphony of Lights, 1293 Yellowpine Drive, Aurora – Woo whoo! Bobbie Seaberg’s fun dancing light show is back, featuring extremely upbeat, traditional music, and some just for the kids or kids at heart. Two shows are set up to play on alternating days through New Year’s Day. Twinkles from 5 to 10ish. Check out their shows on Facebook.

GRUNDY/KENDALL

Channahon

26158 Oakridge Court, Channahon — We adore the heavy metal version of “Mr. Grinch,” which is one of many tunes in Jerry Kosek’s synchronized light show. Lights, lasers and projectors are synchronized to music on 106.9 FM. Animations are projected on one side of the house, synced with talking and singing faces on the front of the house, with lights on the other side of the house. Jerry's also added a fog machine this year to make DMX lasers and moving headlights stand out. On weekends and the holidays, he runs a snow machine over the garage. "We try to keep things a little unusual and comical as far as Christmas displays go, On the weekends and holidays he runs the snow and fog machines. He’s also added a 3D holographic projector this year, but the outdoor projectors will not be on if it rains or snows. The display runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 1 through Jan. 1.

Oswego

548 Arbor Lane, Oswego – Jeremy Boat has strung 50,000 lights with tons of outdoor decor. There are also two window displays you can look through and see. The sparkly display also is a Toys for Tots drop off site, and some nights you might see the Grinch.

603 Forest Ave., Oswego – Susan Svehla’s yard is all decked out like a Christmas ornament with old-school blow mold figurines set in little scenes. Lights are on until 10:30 p.m.

NEW! 1223 Taus Circle, Yorkville – Come see the Potrawski Family’s amazing display of over 60 holiday inflatables and blow molds. “We have decorations supporting every person in the family which has meaning to all of us.” Display is lit up from 5-10 every day. Thanks.

McHENRY COUNTY

Cary

NEW! 1387 New Haven Drive, Cary – Here’s a great display in Cary.

NEW! 637 Rawson Bridge Rd. Cary – Jennifer Thompson’s display by the Fox River has been up since the first week of November and will continue through the end of December. Santa is in a canoe led by flamingos, and the Christmas story is set up. “I incorporate living on the water with Christmas,” Jennifer says.

Crystal Lake

901 Abbington Dr, Crystal Lake — This is Bill Wenzel’s first year of decorating. Santa will be making an appearance. We love the light curtaions and festive blow molds. Can't wait to see what he adds on next year.

WILL COUNTY

Frankfort

Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland, 22177 Somerset Court, Frankfort — Lots of reindeer games going in Andy Pavlacka’s wonderful display, featuring inflatables and over 100 strings of lights, capped by a 15-foot inflatable Rudolph that may or may not be up, depending on weather conditions. The winter wonderland is lit from 4:30 to 10 p.m. through Jan. 1.

Homer Glen

NEW! 15428 Cranberry Court, Homer Glen – We love light displays that you can see from space, like Bill Balmer’s twinkling lights in Homer Glen, featuring our favorite blow molds and lighted arch sidewalk.

Psychedelic Lights, 14635 Saddle Brooke Lane, Homer Glen — Robert Szajkovics’ hallucinogenic synchronized light show goes on at dusk and runs to 10:30 p.m. His display features 40,000 lights dancing to 95.3 FM like Vegas.

Joliet

3305 Caton Farm Road, Joliet – Mike Domagalski's display pops with its elegant light trees and lots of other bling.

Crissups Christmas Light Show, 7662 Pin Oak Court, Joliet – Show runs daily from 5:30 o 9:30 p.m. Tune into 87.9 FM.

Manhattan

24361 Shawnee Lane, Manhattan — The Hessers have a charming 3-D projection display that gets a fair amount of traffic. (They were also on Patch's tour of scary yards.) The display is designed on a computer by hand. Runs nightly from 6 to 10:30 p.m., with audio broadcast on FM radio. This year, they will be showing the complete “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” story, as well as scenes based on “The Polar Express” and “What’s this?” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and a Gingerbread House design. Clark Grisold will also make a cameo. The Hessers are collecting donations for misophonia research. Misophonia is a neurological disorder their daughter suffers from it, who has taken it upon herself to raise awareness and funding for research.

New Lenox

Ace Family Christmas Lights, 213 Surf Dr. New Lenox – Scoot on down Santa Claus Lane for the Ace family's light show. The whole family designed, and assisted with the display. There is a mix of DIY and store bought decorations. Lights are synchronized to music played through a speaker for everyone to enjoy. “If we gain a big enough following, our daughter has inspired us to raise money for Down Syndrome awareness.”

Christmas On The Corner, 731 Warbler Lane, New Lenox – Scott Holubek’s elegant display features a yard full of decorations with several themes, personalized paintings and a large Christmas tree on both front and back of house. The roof that can be seen from blocks away.

1610 Briarcrest, New Lenox – Greg Pilafas has been decorating for the holidays pretty much since he could climb a ladder decorating his parents’ house with his brother. Now I live with my wife and three boys and I continue decorating because I know that it brings joy and happiness to the boys and they love helping me decorate. Every year I continue to add more and more decorations as I try to always “one up,” the previous year.

Plainfield

Chestnut Hill Lights, 1907 Chestnut Hill Road, Plainfield — There’s nothing we love more (besides vintage blow molds) than dancing lights. Eric Voelz’s beautiful display is set to holiday music, with some Bon Jovie, Taylor Swift and Journey thrown in. The lights change and move in sequence, along with two singing trees and an 18-foot Christmas tree. This year it's bigger and better.

Lighten Up, It's the Holidays, 11734 Olympic Dr, Plainfield – Pass through the seven levels of the candy cane forest, through the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops. Follow the path to see Santa and his reindeer, a 15-foot Rudolph, tour the festive blow molds, listen to the singing Santas and so much more. On Friday and Saturday, Rob and Jill will be passing out candy canes.

NEW! Holiday on Hawthorne, 1603 Hawthorne Ridge, Plainfield

23833 W Dayfield Drive, Plainfield – Jim, better known to his neighbors as “Mr. Christmas,” loves to decorate for the holiday season. “It brings him so much joy to see people stop and look at his work. He has five inflatables, countless strands of lights, Mickey and Minnie, the grinch, and so much more while Christmas carols play,” says Jim's daughter, Melissa.

Shorewood

Merry Sithmas, 815 Ravinia Dr in Shorewood – It’s nothing but Star Wars over at Shannon and Kelsp Sharp’s display of Star Wars characters.