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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

From porchlights to pro displays, here’s your guide to Minnesota holiday lights

house with color lights
A house adorned with Christmas lights in 2022.
Courtesy of Mike Marcotte

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What makes for a breathtaking holiday lights display is in the eye of the beholder.

Whether you’re a fan of big bulbs, Bing Crosby-esque classics or funky, laser-laden Trans-Siberian Orchestra showstoppers — and no matter if you’re hitting houses like hardcore trick-or-treaters or are a casual viewer hoping for a leisurely drive — Minnesota media personality Mike Marcotte has got you covered.

Since 2017, Marcotte has published an annual guide to lights across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The idea arose after St. Paul’s Holiday Lights in the Park at Lake Phalen ended, leaving Marcotte bereft.

“This was before all the other big shows that you’ve come to hear about, Sam’s Christmas Village, Miracle at Big Rock, that was before they even started,” Marcotte told MPR News. “So I put a call out, and I had people submit their displays — whether it’s homeowners or big displays — and now the guide has 175 displays around the state of Minnesota.”

The (literal) bright spot this year, he said, is the southeast Twin Cities metro, stretching from Woodbury to Inver Grove Heights and sweeping west across to Bloomington. His guide has an interactive map where you can enter your address and plan a route to view the spectacles a la carte.

Simply put, holiday light enthusiasts go hard. Whole neighborhoods pit megawattages against one another. Interactivity is constantly evolving. Creativity is redefined. The intensity, though, comes from a good place, Marcotte said.

“With the election happening, I think people wanted some joy, a distraction. And I know a lot of the people that I list on my guide, they do this because they love getting the smiles on kids’ faces when people drive by their homes,” Marcotte said. “And they pour months and months into planning, executing, setting up; these displays are a year-round project.”

If you feel like a formal outing, Marcotte is most excited about the professional display at Sam’s Christmas Village and Light Tour in Somerset, Wis.

“It’s great because it’s 16 million lights, it’s easy to navigate. It is a walk-through display… it’s open through New Year’s Day. Also, if you have someone in your party who is not wanting to walk or able to walk, they will actually guide you through the entire display on their shuttles, and they're heated,” Marcotte said.

Have a great display? It’s not too late to join the guide. Marcotte is happy for anyone to submit, plan their route, and get in the holiday spirit by heading to his website, givemethemike.com.