Putting up holiday decorations can be a chore.
But doing it with neighbors, with friends who live on your street — well, it can bring a small community together. That’s just what it’s done in the Wilderness Lake Preserve neighborhood.
Residents at about two dozen homes have combined their talents to create a Dazzling Light Display at Blue Spring Drive, a residential street in the Land O’ Lakes community. Their handiwork features lighted decor on most of the homes, as well as strung lights from tree to tree.
One organizer, Dominic Dominguez, said initially the intent was just to have a festive display, but they opted to do more. He and residents are inviting anyone to come see the lights and, on Thursdays through Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., if they are willing, to bring some canned foods to donate.
No donations are required, but those opting to bring them can drop them off into a bin under a street light in the middle of the display. All donations will then be taken to Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church’s food pantry in Land O’ Lakes.
“It all kind of came from an idea at the Halloween (street) party,” Dominguez said. “We just basically yelled to each other across the street and said what if we all did our decorations together. And then we decided to add the food drive because we know it’s been a rough year for a lot of families.
“If we can keep a couple of families from going hungry, it’ll be worth it, so that’s really the motivation behind it.”
This is the first time the residents have combined for a street-long display, as well as working to get any kind of donations. Decorating has taken a couple of weeks, as residents worked on their homes and on stringing lights across the street by using ladders or climbing trees to hang the decorations.
“No one was using any lifts, so I think, from the climbing (up ladders and trees), we’re really feeling (sore) now,” Dominguez said, with a laugh.
Dominguez and the residents figured having a light display was a great way to bring the neighborhood and the nearby communities together for the holiday season. But they put the display together just to be festive and went in with zero expectations on the amount of cans they might collect.
Their hope is the display inspires visitors to give back.
“This ZIP code (here in Land O’ Lakes) has more than 10,000 people, so it’s always growing,” Dominguez said. “We just want anyone to enjoy the lights and, if you can bring food, please do — we would love it, but we have no expectations.
“And if we get no cans, well, at least we tried, and anyone or everyone can take some leisure time and enjoy the lights this season.”
Dazzling Light Display at Blue Spring Drive
Where: Blue Spring Drive, a residential road in the Wilderness Lake Preserve community in Land O’ Lakes
Details: A couple dozen houses and its residents worked together, on a lark, to create a festive light display on their short road. Most of the houses are decorated, plus there are lighted strings across the street. The Blue Spring Drive group hopes that locals will come to see the display and will donate canned goods, which will be collected and delivered to the food pantry at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 2348 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes. While the light display can be seen any evening, a bin will be out in the middle of the display, underneath a street light, on Thursdays through Sundays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., throughout the month of December.
Published December 13, 2023
