Santa Maria Christmas decoration contest announces winners

For 22 years, Santa Maria’s Recreation and Parks Commission has had the annual holiday job of deciding which homes are worthy of awards in the annual decorating contest called “Lights, Sights, and Holiday Nights.”

In 2018, the “Best Decorated Rookie Resident” award went to Glen Golden on Camino Colegio Drive. Golden has been putting up Christmas decorations for twenty years, but this was the first year he was nominated to be in the contest. He added a new surfing Santa to his decorations this year and thinks that may be what got him nominated.

“I’m a family of surfers so we added the surfing Santa up on our roof. My boys both sort of dared me to see if I could pull it off and there he is,” Golden said.

Winners of the annual holiday decorating contest were voted on by the City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department, the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Commission, and People for Leisure And Youth.

The Fleming Family on Mariott Road took home a win for the Norman Rockwell Award. However, the most festive house that seemed to have the largest number of visitors was the Nicholas Family on Trinity Drive.

Steve Domingez came to see the decorated winners and brought his family.

“It gets us into the Christmas spirit. We like to look at all the decorations and all the time that people have put in decorating their house and getting the awards,” said Domingez.

Domingez’ daughter Gabrielle said she enjoyed seeing the decorated houses for other reasons.

“I just like spending time with my family, and my friends,” she said.

To be a winner of the of the contest that means a neighbor had to submit the name and address of the decorated house. To get the full list of all the winners this holiday season go to this website.