Christmas light contest and map bring joy

ICSO presents first Holiday Light Competition where deputies vote for the best decorated house.

By Luisa Loi • December 15, 2023 1:30 am

If you see Island County deputies outside of your property before Christmas, there are two possibilities — you either messed with the law and are now going to pay the consequences, or your Christmas decorations are being scrutinized. Both scenarios need to be taken with the same seriousness.

The Island County Sheriff’s Office is presenting the first Holiday Light Competition, where deputies vote for the best decorated house in each of the three precincts.

Oak Harbor went all out this year. With all the Christmas lights that have been put up by residents, not even the thickest fog could prevent Santa from spotting the city as he flies across the earth.

Oak Harbor resident Carrie Stucky, a huge fan of Christmas, created a map of all the best decorated homes in Oak Harbor and shared it with the Facebook Group “Whidbey Island Community.”

She grew up touring neighborhoods to admire the lights and decorations with her family, which is a tradition dear to many. Every year since 2020, she has been sharing a list of the best decorated homes with community members on Facebook. With so many people asking online where the best lights were and with so little opportunities for fun during the pandemic, she came up with the idea of a list that would guide families in their winter wonderland safari.

So, for a few hours every year, Stucky drives around town, taking note of the houses, streets and neighborhoods that stand out to her.

Her list is always received with excitement from the Oak Harbor community, with people asking whether the list will come out starting as early as Thanksgiving. This year, following the success of her Christmas lists, Stucky finally decided to do the same for Halloween.

“Everybody can go out and enjoy all the fun lights and all the fun displays that they might have missed otherwise,” she said.

She believes more people have been dressing up their homes in Christmas getup over the past few years, while also expanding their repertoire. Stucky herself transformed her yard in the North Pole, where snowman families have to beware of the Grinch.

“I really like to go all out with Christmas lights and stuff,” she said.

Whidbey community members who believe they have a chance of impressing the judges can sign up for the contest by emailing their name and address to L.Bates@IslandCountyWA.gov. Winners will be announced on Dec. 24.