CHANDLER, AZ — ‘Christmas on Orchid Lane’ is a dazzling neighborhood near Kyrene and Ray roads in Chandler that’s been illuminating the Valley for more than 20 years!
We visited a homeowner who has been part of the annual tradition.
“We have almost 20 homes just on the street alone that decorate their homes every year, and they all participate, and nobody will ask them to do it, and they just do it, and we all enjoy it, and it's just our way of giving back to the community,” said Larry Espinoza.
“I think we actually started a tradition with many families, because they bring their families back every year, and we've had several families tell us that they've been here for more than 10 years, and they have pictures of every year that they've been here,” shared Espinoza, who said that neighbors typically come out and gather outside on Friday and Saturdays. “We hear all the comments, and of course, all positive comments of all the houses, and it really is nice to hear it because we work so hard to put all these things up."
The Espinoza home has been decorated for nearly 27 years and there aren’t plans to stop the tradition.
“I don't know. It's hard to stop once you start. You know, I went through a period where I thought, I think maybe I'll cut back… and then our grandson was born, and he's now six, and now I'm all for it. I want to keep going […] who knows when I'll stop, but as age kicks in, you know, eventually, I'll probably have to stop... But right now, I don't want to stop, and I love it. I really do, and I really do enjoy it,” said Espinoza.
IF YOU GO
- Address: 6320-6481 W. Orchid Ln. in Chandler at the Ray Ranch Estates
- You can stroll through the illuminated neighborhood during December
- Free and family-friendly
- This year the neighbors are accepting non-perishable food donations for United Food Bank, and canned foods for dogs and cats, including leashes for the Lost Our Home Pet Rescue
- Updates on this merry community event can be found on their Facebook page.
Want to check out more FREE Valley home displays? There are more than 100 lit and decorated homes on our interactive map at abc15.com/lights.
