Start your engine and pull out a map. It's time to cruise around and see the Christmas lights provided by Summit County this holiday season. Many cities, companies and residents in the county have carried out luxurious festival displays. Here are some we suggest to add to your lighting journey.
This lake is located at 615 W. Park Ave. in downtown Barberton. There are 25-30 displays and thousands of lights surrounding it for your viewing. Some displays, including a merry-go-round and nutcracker soldiers (operating a cannon), are programmed to appear to be moving. The holiday lights turn on at 5 pm every day, from Sunday to Thursday nights until 9 pm, and on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays until 10 pm.
There are also two companies by the lake, playing a festive atmosphere with music. Raymond James Financial Services at 527 W. Lake Ave. has a Grinch on their roof and The Barberton Masonic Temple at 107 5th St. NW. It is programmed as merry Christmas music.
Looking for a variety of shows? Check out this house at 809 Bentley Place Blvd in Tallmadge. The branches and trunks in the house are covered by lanterns. If you look closely, a virtual Santa lives in a window on the first floor of the house. The blue lights attached to the tips of the branches also give the illusion that they are depositing icicles on the ground below. The program is tuned to 94.3 FM and repeats every 15 minutes from 6 pm to 11 pm every day.
Cars are often lined up in Stratford Court and Bentley Place Boulevard. This dead end and this street borders this corner house. Take a peek at the luxurious display. The owner, George Matthews, won the annual "Light Up Tallmadge" competition last year and became the overall champion of the 2020 Multi-City Holiday Lighting Competition.
Akron Zoo's Wild Lights event held at 505 Euclid Ave. more than one million lights lit up the Akron Zoo. The lights can be viewed on certain nights from December 10th to 12th, 17th to 23rd, and 26th to 30th from 5pm to 9pm. An exhibition opened to the public earlier this year, the Wild Asia section of the Reiner Family Foundation, is showing some new decorations for the event. From December 23, Santa Claus will make a special appearance every night. Grinch, Snow Queen, Snow Princess and Snowman will take pictures at the zoo from December 26th to 30th.
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Guests do not need to book in advance. Tickets purchased on the zoo’s website cost $13 for adults, $6 for children, and $3 for parking and shuttle fees. Tickets purchased at the entrance are USD 16 for adults, USD 12 for children, and USD 5 for parking and shuttle fees.
The light show in this house is programmed based on 93.5 FM music, so adjust the radio and turn up the volume knob to get a complete experience. The exhibition takes place every day from 5 to 10 pm, and there are Santa Claus, hateful snowman, Christmas tree and reindeer (jumping and static) everywhere.
“We started renovations in 2012 and are expanding every year,” said homeowner Anthony Biviano. "This year we added a huge LED Merry Christmas sign, eight four-foot-tall LED Christmas trees and eight illuminated gifts. There is also an area where you can take pictures."
Every holiday, Biviano collects donations for the Akron Children's Hospital and food for the Akron Regional Food Bank. There is a donation box fixed on the mailbox for donating cash or checks to the hospital, which is emptied every night. Next to the mailbox is a bucket for donating food.
The house at 107 Lincoln Ave. in Cuyahoga Falls is brightly lit and fronts a lawn full of holiday decorations. There are oversized decorations and a pole tree in front of the house. A unique feature is the arch that leads to the front door wrapped in wrapping paper. The lights are displayed in a loop of 12-13 songs set to 87.9 FM.
At this year's Deck the Hall event, the 64,500 square foot home was immersed in decorations that matched the theme of "lights, cameras, and Christmas." There are references to 13 classic Christmas movies and 30 decorated trees scattered across 20 of the 65 rooms in the building. The Harry Potter movie series uses floating candles and other memorabilia on display in the lobby of the house. Similarly, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is also on display in its master bedroom.
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The Deck the Hall event will be held from December 9th to 23rd and 23rd to 30th from 5pm to 8pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance from Stan Hywet's website. The ticket price ranges from US$18 to US$6, depending on age, membership and planned admission date.
Reach out to Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans via tbeans@gannett.com and Twitter @TawneyBeans.