Last year didn’t feel right and two years ago was … two whole years ago, which the pandemic sometimes makes feel like 20 years ago.
But the bright, flashing, blown-up, meticulously constructed holiday décor is back, adorning front yards all over Northern California. Much of it was there even before Thanksgiving, a good indicator the spirit is back for 2021.
Californians love showing off holiday flair, and we’d like to help. Enjoy these initial highlights from the Tri-Valley area and, as we know the lights will stay up well past this weekend, please feel free to send your own examples to holidaypics@baycitynews.com.
Happy holidays!
The Dourov Christmas light display at the family’s home in Livermore
Elena Sattarova kisses her daughter Julia, 5, as she takes a selfie in front of the Christmas lights. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
A telephone to talk to Santa, a snow machine that runs on quarters, lights that dance to the FM radio beats, Santa waving from the window, a train that smokes and whistles with the push of a button are among the long list of Christmas antics at the 467 Knottingham Circle house. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Sharon Leon, 6, smilingly looks at her mother Yazmin Hernandez after getting “naughty” on the “Are you naughty or nice?” machine at the porch. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Avery Markovich, 7, and Camden Markovich, 7, look at the Dourov Christmas light display from their car. Their family has been visiting the house every year for three years now. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Alex Dourov, the owner of the house shared, “We bought this house brand-spanking-new in March 1992. And the first thing that we did, before even the landscaping went in, was to trench the yard and put in outlets all over the place for future growth, never thinking that it would get this big.” (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Julia Sattarova, 5, and Damien Shybanov, 5, play in artificial snow at Dourov Christmas light display. The snow machine takes a quarter coin to run each time. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
One among the several “thank you” notes from children in the neighborhood stuck on the garage door. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
A penguin light gets drenched in artificial snow. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Damien Shybanov, 5, looks at an interactive blue button that says “push.” Pushing the blue button would light up a train with steam coming out of the engine. Similar interactive buttons of different colors are set up across the front yard of the house. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
The nativity scene staged at Dourov Christmas light display. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Tiny snowman pieces light up to the beats on FM radio. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News) 
Alex and Cindy Dourov, the couple who created the Dourov Christmas light display at their residence at 467 Knottingham Circle in Livermore. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari: A Wildly Illuminating Lantern Festival
The lantern tunnel leads to the African savanna diorama at the Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari: A Wildly Illuminating Lantern Festival at the event preview on Thursday. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
Maureen Mitchell of Alameda takes a photo of Sarah Johnson and her 2-year-old daughter Avery, also of Alameda, in a glowing swing at Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari on Thursday. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
Illuminated flora and fauna at the Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari: A Wildly Illuminating Lantern Festival in Oakland, Calif., on November 11, 2021. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
Visitors walk through the ant lantern tunnel in the California Trail area at Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
Molly Diamond and Chris McCreddin of Sunnyvale check out the panda lanterns in the bamboo forest at Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari on Thursday. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
Visitors head into the illuminated tunnel leading to more light displays at the Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari: A Wildly Illuminating Lantern Festival in Oakland, Calif., on November 11, 2021. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
From left, Marilyn Morrish of Walnut Creek, an Oakland Zoo volunteer for 20 years, watches a friend, Chris Stieger of Pleasant Hill, photograph a butterfly lantern at Glowfari on Thursday. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News) 
Visitors walk past the porcupine lantern on their way to the gondola at Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)