Unleash your inner “Griswold” and light up Aurora

November 27, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

If you’ve ever settled into National Lampoons’ Christmas Vacation and taken inspiration from the light extravaganza Clark Griswold installs on his house, you’re not alone.

But, now there’s an added incentive to deck out your home in Aurora.

Light Up Aurora, a contest now in its second year and hosted by realtor Anthony Fogliato, is on the hunt for the best and wackiest Christmas light displays in Town.

“[My wife and I] were talking about how we haven’t really seen that many great ones, so we decided it would be fun to start a competition to find the best,” says Mr. Fogliato. “The first year was very informal. I went and knocked on the doors of people who ended up being in the competition. They were really excited about it because they were doing their lights just for fun. Now that they could actually win something, they just seemed really excited.”

Last year’s prize was a simple $20 gift certificate to Tim Hortons, but with new sponsorships this year, they have upped their game. The Grand Prize is $150 in cash, with a second prize of a $100 gift certificate to Academy Laser Clinic, and a third place package from The Nutmeg Bakeshop, a regular feature at the Aurora Farmers’ Market.

Winners will be selected via Facebook with half a point awarded for every ‘like’, one point for every comment (only one per person), and two points for sharing the entry.

Despite the success, there remains that elusive house Mr. Fogliato would just love to see entered into the mix.

“We love those houses set to music,” he says of houses that go viral on YouTube. “We’re just looking for a lot of lights – lights that are almost flamboyant and probably add 20 per cent to their power bill!”

For more information on Light Up Aurora, visit www.lightupaurora.com.