Holly's recommended Historical Tacky Christmas Lights 2005 IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Last Updated 16-Jan-2008		Now Playing:  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

(With a name like 'Holly', how could I not recommend Christmas Lights???)

Photographic Tour of Tacky Christmas Lights
No relevance to numerical order.

1. 5811 Ash Drive, Springfield
   
   
   
   
   Nice layout, lots of lights and lighted figures displayed on two sides of the house, some blowups, also many lighted wire deer.
   (Need to put lights on the house to increase Tacky rating) Two large pines across street decorated with huge multi-color lights adds to display.
   






2. 3309 Prosperity Avenue, Fairfax
   
   
   
   New display with lots of lights and things in the yard.
   House across the street also very decorated. Both put off a nice glow.
   Enough yard for future Tacky expansion... (Photo taken during an ice storm)
   
   






3. 3622 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax City
   New for 2005 with multicolor lights on every object in the yard, trees and fences. Very colorful...






4. 3608 Old Post Road, Fairfax City

   

   
   
   Very tacky but, I love the unique things (lighted wire carousel, helicopter) in the front.
   House encircled with icicle lights, deck in back yard too. Go around the block to see it.






5. 7704 Wilbur Court, Springfield

   

    
   A multitude of lighted white wired deer backed by multi-colored lights including the backyard
   12/24/05 - met Mr & Mrs Wilbur Court...delightful people...
   We counted the figures, there are 28 lighted deer figures, 1 moose, 2 polar bears, and one animated pink flamingo.

   New this year, the neighbor directly across the street has a small herd of deer in his front yard and the joke is that it got too crowded at 7704 and some migrated across the street.

   I noticed this year it seems all the neighbor's decorations have grown as well. (Looking down street from entrance of Wilbur Court)

   

   
   

6. 2122 Galloping Way, Vienna
   
   
   Wide yard with decorations spread from end-to-end.  All white lights and painted 2-D wooden cut-outs set up in various scenes.
    

   10203 Lawyers Road, Vienna
   
   
   To the left of where you turn onto Galloping Way. Layers of multicolored lights and a few figures. Photos don't do justice.






7. 7723 Fisher Drive, Falls Church
   New addition to list for 2005. If Pimmit Hills is still having a contest, this one is the winner.
   
   
   
   

   1746 Pimmit Drive, Falls Church
   2005 - My old favorite has been drastically reduced in size and I can no longer highly recommend it.
   But for years it was the most unique display of all. Santa will make an appearance here on Dec 16-17, 2005, 7-9pm.
   (Very saddened to hear that owner fell from roof two years ago while putting up the helicopter which is the reason for display/size reduction)
   

   Prior to 2003 - My favorite, have visited for over 20 years 
   House is decorated with homemade animated wooden cutout decorations. Have watched them add new items thru the years






8. 1713 N. Quebec Street, Arlington

   

      

   A small yard jam-packed full of lights and vintage lighted figures (blow molds) set up in various displays.
   I like the large Thomas the Tank Engine being boarded by a multitude of lighted Santa figures.
   (In 2005 Thomas and the Santas are part of the choir )
   Also liked all the different colored trees and the polar bear/penguin display.






9. 6283 Wills St, Alexandria

   
   
   

   Several groupings of lighted figures backed by multi-colored lights synchronized to music.
   Loved the Penguin and Polar Bear group and the gingerbread group. A forest of lighted trees.






10. 6634 South Kings Highway, Alexandria

    
    

    My son in front of this popular house,
    Has a small working train for giving the little ones a ride, Dec. 22-24, 2005, 6-10pm
    
     
    Other houses on Memorial Street






11. 128 Nutley Street, Vienna

    
    
    
    
    Again very pretty with use of different colors for different objects...lots of blue (my favorite color) lights outlining the house
    The lights are abundant and wide spread but subtle. Photos don't do justice...






12. 3912 and 3917 Lincolnshire Street, Annandale

    
     

    

    One of my top three favorites...
    Two houses directly across the street from each other try to outdo each other, one with lights and the other with lighted figures...What a Sight!! 
    Always makes me happy to see these. 3912 has backyard decorated, too and gets bigger every year.

    

    NOTE 2005: 3917 doesn't appear to be decorated this year but check out 3909 a little further down the street picking up the slack.
    They have a lot of white lights both steady-on and twinkling, two tall trees decorated (love the pine on the right side of house),
    grape clusters to right of door and the night I visited they were playing Jazz-style Christmas tunes.

     

    

    
    

13. 2507 Fairview Drive, Alexandria

    
    How does he get all that on the roof?????
    

    Another of my top three favorites... You'll see the glow through the trees as you approach.
    Overdone to the MAX!!! He is the KING of the Inflatables!!! He must have one of every kind available.
    The right property line was lined with intermixed Santas and Snowmen. The roofs was covered with inflatables, and there is still lots of lights...
    A neighborhood house on Hillside Lane (son of Fairview)
    12/21/04 - Met Mr. & Mrs. Fairview Drive and son. A real pleasure! He's been doing this for 35 years!
    Has a miniature village in picture window on porch. Everything he can't fit in his yard is displayed in son's yard on Hillside Lane.
    Also does a major Halloween display.






14. 1601 Collingwood Road, Alexandria

    

       

     
    New creation for 2005 - Leaping reindeer

    One of my top three favorites... Extremely large house and yard with beautifully done lights everywhere!
    Very classy and tacky at the same time. I loved the ground cover done in green lights with the larger red (berry) lights.
    Also, many groups of lighted deer figures. And the homeowner does all this, not a landscape company...






15. East Juniper Avenue, Sterling (Loudon County)

        

       

    Everyone on this entire street gets into the act and it's like one of those drive-thru light shows. I loved the variety.
    One yard was set up as a seascape with Santa in a sail boat. Another had large wooden Peanuts characters.
    Santa will be there Dec 18-23, 2005 (Box for canned food donations)






16. 10715 Shadow Lane, Fairfax Station

    

    
    Very large house and yard (several acres) with property line and all outbuildings outlined in white lights






17. 5700 Claret Place, Centreville

    

         

    New for 2005 - Found via email notification from the owner.
    Corner lot encircled with candle and soldier lighted figures .
    Lots of lights and lighted figures some with animation and a few inflatables.
    
    The house next door is also quite tacky with multicolor lights covering the front of the house and a lighted palm tree.






18. corner of Dassett Court and Americana Drive, Annandale

    

     

    New for 2005 - Found via emails from other Christmas-Light-Elves (Thanks!)
    Entire apartment building is decorated with lights and many inflatables. A Must-See.
    There's even inflatables on the roof and on the side of the building.
    A very well done group effort. The glow is much larger/brighter that appears here, the photos don't do it justice...





19. 6226 Stonehunt Place, Clifton, (Little Rocky Run)

    

     

    Tackiest of 2005...When I turned the corner and saw it, I literally squealed with delight.
    These photos don't begin to show the true volume of lights, it's blinding!!
    I've never seen so many light strings going in so many directions. Reminds me of a spider web. You've got to see this to believe it.
    A co-worker led me to this one. Also appears on uglychristmaslights.com (Mosquito Net) but, I would never call it ugly...
     






20. 5509 Sequoia Farms, Centreville

    

     

    New for 2005 - Found via emails
    A ton of lights and figures. The yard is ringed by candy cane and candle lights. Lots of motion figure lights.






21. 11303 Stones Throw Dr, Reston (corner of Fieldview and Stones Throw)

    

     

    New for 2005 - A beautifully done home in twinkling white lights. Very tasteful and extravagant at the same time.
    The entire property and home is encircled with white trees and bushes. Every window of the house is perfectly outlined in white lights.
    Love the single pair of white wire deer in back yard and two-story Christmas tree visible through side window.
     

Suggested Christmas lights locations submitted too late for 2005 - No time to verify

5503 Chestermill Court, Fairfax - lots of giant blow-ups

Braymore Circle, Fairfax Station

Stonefield Drive, Clifton

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 my list.  
For tips on taking photos of Christmas lights visit the New York Institute of Photography

[ Printable Version ]

 
MY Christmas Decorations
My "Tacky" is the Light-up Santa. 
I inherited him from a great aunt who owned a motel in Rehoboth, Delaware.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This web page would not have been possible without the information provided in the Fairfax Journal Newspaper.  

©Holly A Zell
Revised:  January 16, 2008 12:05
All Original Artwork Copyrighted.
All photographs by Holly Zell unless otherwise noted.