CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile device
When it comes to hanging up outdoor holiday lights, J.R Mattos is much more on the ball than National Lampoon’s hapless Clark Griswold.
In fact, Mattos, a father of two, belongs to a rare class of passionate holiday-lights hobbyists who get fiercely ambitious, draping their properties with tens of thousands of twinkling holiday lights, erecting elaborate displays and even staging light and music shows.
For the past 10 years, Mattos has transformed the San Jose apricot orchard that’s been in his family for five generations into a North Pole-themed winter wonderland, including wrapping 60 trees in lights. This year’s display opens Thanksgiving night.
“We like Christmas a lot,” Mattos says matter-of-factly, explaining why he and his family dedicate their Decembers to hosting thousands of people on their property. “We” means his wife, parents, sister and brother-in-law, who all pitch in on November weekends to help get the show ready. Even Mattos’ 3-year-old daughter has started to help.
“Word gets out,” Mattos says. “It’s grown over the years. We get 200 or 300 a night, more on weekends.”
The Bay Area is also home to other amazing light displays open to the public throughout the holiday season. Some are put on by individual homeowners, like Mattos. Other displays are the work of entire neighborhoods. And still other favorite displays come courtesy of popular destinations, such as the grand Filoli estate in Woodside, the Oakland Zoo, the Santa Clara County Parks Department and even a cemetery in Oakland.
So bundle up. Here are some of the best holiday light shows in the Bay Area for walk-through or drive-by visits. Unless otherwise indicated, you can visit most of these nightly, after sundown and at no cost. (And air quality is expected to improve in the Bay Area by Wednesday, with two storm systems washing away the smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County.
1: Mattos Orchard Lights, San Jose
The display at the three-acre property of J.R. Mattos starts Thanksgiving evening.
Details: 5 to 10 p.m. daily through Jan. 12 at 1545 Stone Creek Drive, San Jose.
2: Filoli estate, Woodside
The century-old Filoli estate does the holidays in grand fashion with elaborate displays of Christmas trees and other decorations filling the ballroom and other rooms of the stately mansion. But what’s especially magical are the lights arrayed around Filoli’s world-renowned, English country gardens. Take a break from strolling the gardens with a visit to the holiday wine bar, located on the mansion’s terrace.
Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and until 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 23 at 86 Cañada Road, Woodside. $10-$25, https://filoli.org.
3: Deacon Dave’s, Livermore
The light show at Deacon Dave Rezendes’ Hillcrest Drive home in Livermore has been featured on cable and international TV, with HGTV once ranking it among the biggest home displays in the U.S. Every year’s show at Casa del Pomba — “House of the Dove” in Portuguese — has a theme; this year’s remains a secret until opening night on Nov. 30. “It’s about getting people in the Christmas spirit,” Rezendez, who serves at Livermore’s St. Michael’s Catholic Church, told the Bay Area News Group in 2016. Note that wait times of up to an hour are not uncommon; Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be less crowded.
Details: 6-9 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. Dec. 24-25 and on Fridays and Saturdays through Jan. 1; 352 Hillcrest Drive, Livermore; www.casadelpomba.com.
4: Christmas Tree Lane, Alameda
This neighborhood effort involves more than 50 homes, and school bands and popular entertainers, including Alameda’s Tap Dancing Christmas Trees, have been known to perform. Kids can mail their letters to Santa at a special mail box.
Details: 5:30-10 p.m. Dec. 1-31 with Santa visits 6:30-8 p.m Dec. 8-23; 3200 block Thomson Avenue, between High Street and Fernside Boulevard, Alameda; www.facebook.com/christmastreelane.
5: Christmas Tree Lane, Palo Alto
One of Palo Alto’s most enduring holiday traditions dates back to 1940, when homeowners in the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Street decided to string lights and put up yule trees and other displays. The only time this Christmas Tree Lane has gone dark was in 1942, during a World War II black-out. The display opens at 5 p.m. Dec. 15 with carolers from Palo Alto’s K-8 Keys School making their way up and down the lane. Note: It’s best to park on adjacent streets and stroll over to Fulton Street.
Details: 5-11 p.m. Dec. 15-31 on Fulton Street between Embarcadero Avenue and Seale Road, Palo Alto; www.christmastreelane.org.
6-10: California Christmas Lights must-sees
The California Christmas Lights, formerly Lights of the Valley, website tracks Bay Area holiday light displays, including some homes that have earned “must see” designations over the years for their spirited, over-the-top displays. Among them: mechanized gingerbread houses, Christmas villages and Santas. Antioch photographer Greg Rehm, for example, transforms his home into the “Candy Cane House of Antioch” where families can have their photos taken with Santa.
Details: Rehm’s home at 2921 Camby Road, Antioch is open from dusk to 9 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Other must-see displays: 5-11:30 p.m. Nov. 23-Jan. 1 at 1279 Hearst Ave, Pleasanton; 6-9 p.m. daily, until 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday Dec. 14-30 at 2612 Calle Reynoso, Pleasanton, 6-9 p.m. Dec. 1-31 at “Widmer World” at 3671 Chelsea Court, Pleasanton; and beginning at dusk Nov. 25-Dec. 27 at 467 Knottingham Circle, Livermore.
11: Chinese Lantern Light Festival, Pleasanton
A light-filled Chinese art form that dates back 2,000 years is coming to Pleasanton’s Alameda County Fairgrounds. Thirty artisans from Zigong will transform the fairgrounds into a nighttime display of enormous, hand-crafted lanterns that celebrate holiday traditions, architecture, myths and stories from around the world.
Details: 5-10 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday Nov. 30-Jan. 20 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, 2100 Valley Ave., Pleasanton. Admission is $14 and up; $10 for parking; https://lanternlightfestival.com.
12: Christmas in the Park, San Jose
Every year, San Jose’s two-acre Plaza de Cesar Chavez is transformed into a land of lights and holiday displays, including a 60-foot tree and a forest of smaller trees decorated by San Jose schools. Christmas in the Park also features special events, including a tree lighting Nov. 23, dog days Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, and the 5K Santa Run Silicon Valley on Dec. 16.
Details: 9 a.m.-midnight daily Nov. 23-Dec. 25 at Plaza de Cesar Chavez; www.christmasinthepark.com.
13: ZooLights at the Oakland Zoo
Seeing the lions, elephants and alligators isn’t the only reason to visit the Oakland Zoo this month. The zoo hosts one of the most unusual holiday displays in the Bay Area. You’ll see hundreds of thousands of lights brightening trees and zoo buildings as you ride the Outback Express Train or sail over the zoo in an illuminated gondola. Look for the new Winter Wonderland with Santa’s workshop. Warm up with hot cocoa and s’mores, available at Flamingo Plaza and the zoo’s main entrance.
Details: 5:30-9 p.m. Dec. 7-Jan. 6 (closed Dec. 24-25) at 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland. Admission $9-$10, www.oaklandzoo.org.
14: Fantasy of Lights, Los Gatos
Enjoy a 1.5-mile drive through a fantasy land of lights, animated figures and a 90-foot twinkling tree from the comfort and warmth of your car. This show at Vasona Lake County Park comes courtesy of the Santa Clara County Parks Department. You can also walk through the park on Dec. 1-2, using 3-D glasses to enhance the visual experience.
Details: The route starts at 333 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos. Tickets for the Dec. 1-2 walk-through are $5-$10. The drive-thru runs Dec. 4-30 (closed Dec. 25) and costs $20 per car. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.sccgov.org.
15: Merry-Go-Round magic, Berkeley
The famous Tilden Park carousel becomes a festive showplace during the holidays, with trees festooned with lights and visits by Santa and his elves.
Details: 4-8 p.m. weekdays, until 8:30 p.m. weekends at Tilden Regional Park, Central Park Drive and Lake Anza Road, Berkeley. Dates still being finalized but likely to run through Jan. 1; www.tildenparkmerrygoround.org.
16: Lights for the departed, Oakland
Don’t be scared away by the venue: Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery. You’d miss out on the creative way that Christmas lights can be shaped into skaters, snowmen, playful penguins and horse and sleigh. Lights also are arrayed around buildings, arches and the cemetery fountain.
Details: 5-9 p.m. Dec. 1-Jan. 1 at Mountain View Cemetery, 5000 Piedmont Ave.; www.mountainviewcemetery.org.
17: Peninsula light show, San Carlos
Home after home in this 1950s-era neighborhood is adorned with lights, many with fire pits blazing out front, the perfect spot to socialize with neighbors and visitors.
Details: Nightly Dec. 1-25 on the 1900 block of Eucalyptus Ave., San Carlos; http://californiachristmaslights.com.
18-19: Big city lights, San Francisco
Lace up your skates and enjoy turns around the ice rinks at San Francisco’s Union Square or Embacadero Center — under the lights of grand hotels, skyscrapers, giant twinkling Christmas trees and, in the case of Justin Herman Plaza, the historic Ferry Building. These are signature San Francisco holiday events, and a great way to end a day of shopping and gazing at window displays at Tiffany’s and other shops.
Details: Union Square ice rink, 333 Post Street, 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 21,$13-$18, including skate rental; http://unionsquareicerink.com. Justin Herman Plaza, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, through Jan. 6; Admission, $5-12, with $5 for skate rentals; http://embarcaderocenter.com.
More…
Check out the slide show above for some vicarious holiday enjoyment, then hit the road to explore the light shows in Alameda County, Contra Costa County and Santa Clara County.
If you know of a spectacular display we missed and would like to have it included in this list, email Martha Ross at mross@bayareanewsgroup.com.
