Matt Burgess – founder of TackyLightTour.com, which pinpoints the best home Christmas light displays – says Richmond has the most decked out houses per capita.
Local homes drip in bright lights, inflatable Santas, and elaborate nativity scenes.
He knows of a house with a giant oak tree that boasts more than 180,000 lights within its branches alone.
The display is so huge, the family keeps the lights up year- round to avoid the hassle of hanging them each season.
Burgess says the real hardcore decorators are “purists” who make every yard prop themselves.
They’re also willing to endure high spikes in their electricity bills for the love of Christmas, including one man whose bill cost $10,000.
Burgess says displays might be harboring on tacky if a house can be seen from space or if it looks like it’s daytime when it’s really nighttime on a street.
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