Brilliance In The Night With A Waving Santa And Constellation Of Lights, This Spokane Neighborhood Welcomes Christmas And A Throng Of Admiring Visitors Every Night
Like sequins on black velvet, thousands of colored lights stud the dark hedges, lawns and eaves of 120 homes lining the streets near Drumheller Springs.
The spirit of the season glows bright in the sky over northwest Spokane, where neighbors welcome strangers to enjoy their holiday handiwork.
“I think the the night sky is always lighter over this part of town,” said a young woman. Her two children tugged at her hands, excited at the cheerful mix of chubby snowmen and serene angels that populate the yards this time of year.
“In the summer the sky lights up from the baseball field at Shadle Park, in the fall it’s from the football games at Joe Albi Stadium, and right now it’s from this neighborhood. Do you think WWP cuts them a deal?” she said with a laugh. She waved back to Santa, who stood at his picture window greeting all passersby.
“On a steady night we have up to a thousand people going by,” said Santa, also known as Don Cobb, who bought his home on West Courtland when it was brand new 30 years ago. “My wife Gerri and I were told right away that when we moved in we had to decorate.”
Each street in the neighborhood had its own theme. “On Courtland we built big stars, and Glass made cut-out trees with their family name on the bottom, and others had candles,” Cobb recalled. “You still see a few of those left, but most people now just do their own thing.”
For the past dozen years Santa
has greeted an all-ages stream of visitors who travel by foot, car, bus and horse-drawn wagon.
“I used to go out into the yard to meet the kids,” said Cobb, “but pretty soon there were so many that I was afraid one might run in front of a car to come see Santa - so Santa moved indoors to the living room.”
On some nights Santa has counted as many as 80 buses and limousines cruising past. “I really like the busloads of nursing home residents the best,” said Cobb. “Seeing them smile is what it’s all about.”
The genuine warmth of the neighborhood attracted Bud and Sandy Wright. “We used to drive through here just to see the Christmas lights,” Wright said, “and I thought if I could ever move into this neighborhood I’d really be happy.”
Shortly after retiring from his teaching career, Wright spotted a home for sale just down the road from Santa.
“A friend told me if we bought the house, we’d have to buy more Christmas lights, too!”
The Wrights moved in and promptly decorated the place. “It’s our dream come true,” said Wright. “We love our neighbors, and all the people driving through to enjoy the beauty of the lights.” Wright noted that his neighborhood’s zeal for decorating is voluntary, and that it’s free to the public - unlike the displays at Qualchan Golf Course.
“We have a tremendous load of traffic,” he said. “But it’s never bothered me - we just park in our driveways and make room. In fact, I think it adds to the atmosphere. We love the people, and we love that they can share our Christmas spirit. It’s our gift to Spokane.”
Further adding to the fairyland atmosphere, a pair of Clydesdale mares clip-clops slowly down the street, pulling a wagon full of enthusiastic carolers. Driver-owner Larry Edmonds flicks the reins over the rumps of Black and Blue, guiding them past plastic Rudolphs and plywood Christmas trees on Glass Avenue.
“See those reflectors on the Christmas trees?” gestured Edmonds. “The neighbors had to eat a lot of chicken pot pies to make those,” he chuckled. “They’ve got a great attitude here in this community, really nice people.”
He pointed to a small ranch-style home on Gordon. “A retired pastor lives there. He puts up a stocking on his fireplace for each of his grandkids - you can see through the window there - and I guess he must have 20 of them. There’s another man on Glass with about a half-dozen grandchildren - they come to see him on New Year’s Eve every year, and he has them all waiting for a wagon ride.”
“Qualchan is really popular and they put on a good show for their customers - but it just doesn’t have the homey, friendly spirit of this neighborhood,” said Edmonds. The wagon passed a window where a live parrot hunched in his greens-trimmed cage, spying the horses. “I mean, this is something Norman Rockwell would paint for the cover of Saturday Evening Post.”
Edmonds has driven tours here for six years. “You don’t want to give up your day job to do this,” he said firmly, “but it is a lot of fun, and it makes a lot of folks happy - gives them a chance at life in the slow lane.”
As houses come open, younger families are moving into the neighborhood - and into the swing of holiday decor.
“Rope-light” figures and racing lights pulse in rainbow colors, a snowman grins from his perch in a basketball hoop. Across from Drumheller Springs Park on West Euclid, one home features plush teddy bears tucked between balusters.
A few houses away, the owners created light-designs on nearly every flat surface, including the roof, which is covered by a huge green Christmas tree and a white cross on one side, and a bow-topped package on another.
They even turned their telephone pole into a candy cane with red and white fairy lights.
A recent rash of vandalism has disheartened some residents. Black and Blue’s wagon is missing some lights, and Bud Wright found his decorations in the street this week. Next door to Santa Cobb the family has posted a sign in their near-empty yard: “Due to theft and vandalism of over half of our Xmas display, we took the rest of it down. Sorry. Merry Christmas!”
A woman and her friend paused to read the sign. She shook her head and said, “I hope that didn’t ruin their whole Christmas. This makes me want to bring them some of my decorations.”
Her companion patted her shoulder, and agreed, “That’s the spirit!”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 Color)