Best of the best: A look at the most popular holiday display in the Charlotte area
‘Tis the season to deck the halls. If you’re looking to make your season extra merry and bright, there’s one home you may want to check out that’s been named the best holiday display around Charlotte.
After taking in nominations for 30 homes over-the-top displays, cute Christmas characters and light shows, the final votes are in for the 2024 CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Holiday Display contest.
Winner: 10996 Sunstone Circle, Davidson
Neighborhood: Waterford on the Rocky River/Lake Norman
“It’s kind of a gift to the neighborhood, but it’s more of a gift to us just to provide to everybody,” Darin Wall, one of the the holly jolly masterminds behind the festive decor, told CharlotteFive.
He and his family, who just moved to the area from Iowa, have been decorating their home for over a decade. Every holiday season, they’ve made it a mission to go bigger and better with their display — including this year with a special tribute to his wife Wendy’s late mother, Linda.
“This is kind of Linda’s memorial Christmas special celebration, so we’d love to share it with people” Darin explained.
“I get super excited when I see cars line the street … If they stop long enough, I’ll come out and see if the kids wanna get out and let them walk through the display and let parents take pictures.”
The Walls said they’ve even had some families use their display for Christmas card photos — one that they say they usually spend weeks planning along with their daughters to include classic lights, decor and even some collected pieces from Darin’s childhood.
“Thanks for all the votes. Thanks for all the support. If you like what you see, come on by. Take a visit … walk through the display, take pictures and just enjoy it,” he said.
Along with the win comes a bonus from Charlotte Motor Speedway — a prize pack complete with a free express pass to Speedway Christmas and a $100 gift card to the Speedway Club for them to enjoy dinner before the show.
Runner-up: 1201 Merribrook Drive, Matthews
Neighborhood: Brightmoor/Matthews
The winner for the 2023 CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Holiday Display contest was also one of the top fan-favorite festive homes in the area — decorated by Laurie Rumble and her family, who’ve kept up the tradition for years.
“Started when our boys were younger and grew from there,” Rumble, who was not available for an interview this year, previously told CharlotteFive in 2023. “It’s become kind of a neighborhood thing for us here. All the kids in the neighborhood love to come here.”
This year, they’ve even got a new “Frozen” display in honor of her granddaughter, Emma.
Want some more holiday cheer? Be sure to check out our holiday lights display contests from years past:
Readers’ Choice Best Holiday Display contest homes from 2023
Readers’ Choice Best Holiday Display contest homes from 2022
Readers’ Choice Best Holiday Display contest homes from 2021
Alex Cason contributed reporting.
Uniquely Charlotte: Uniquely Charlotte is an Observer subscriber collection of moments, landmarks and personalities that define the uniqueness (and pride) of why we live in the Charlotte region.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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