It’s that time of the year again! Winterhaven is back from December 8th to the 26th at 6pm-10pm.  This high-spirited neighborhood with 265 residences is known for having the biggest, brightest, and best Christmas decorations in town. The famous Winterhaven has been kicking for 69 years; but have you ever wondered where it all began?

The Winterhaven Festival of Lights began in 1949 when a man named C.B. Richards visited a similar presentation in Beverly Hills. It galvanized him to create a show of his own, so he bought and donated lights to his neighborhood. He also bought Christmas trees from a company going out of business, Guy Monthan’s nursery, and planted them throughout the neighborhood, along with electrical connections near the trees. He started out by judging and awarding $100 dollars to the home decorated the best. Even after moving to San Diego, he still visited the Festival of Lights.

This spectacle began with one inspired man, and has become a big tradition of many Tucsonians’ holidays.