Just about 30 minutes south of Penticton in the heart of the Similkameen Valley lies the farming community of Keremeos, population 1,800 or so.
But five minutes north of that you'll find something even smaller – the forested collection of homes known as Olalla, a place so tiny it makes Kememeos look like an urban jungle.
How small is Olalla? So small that you have to go elsewhere for stuff like groceries and fuel. So small it’s officially known as an "unincorporated settlement." So small you can walk from one end to the other in about ten minutes.
But what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm. And one of Olalla's most charming aspects is its Christmas spirit. Simply put, the community has more extensively decorated homes per capita than anywhere else we’ve been lately.
And nowhere are the lights so bright as they are at the home of Sue Ann Allen and hubby Randy.
The couple lives at 1438 Main St., a sprawling property at the south end of town that they've decorated to the nines.
What makes Sue Ann and Randy's spread especially cool is its proximity to Highway 3A, the main drag between Penticton and the Similkameen Valley. Indeed, it's on the corner of Main and the highway, meaning their glorious display is clearly visible to anyone zipping by.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the lights emerge from the shadows. It's quite awesome.
"Every year we add something new," said Allen when we stopped by on the weekend. "We've been doing it pretty strong for about eight years.
"And these days we have friends who come to help us. Friends in Cawston and a guy who lives just down the road. They did all the decorating last year for us because my husband was in an accident and I had surgery."
According to Allen, the two began their love affair with outdoor Christmas displays several years ago.
"We started off small when we lived near the Grist Mill (in Cawston)," she said. "We had a small yard but we had a tree that was about 60 feet tall. We put a star at the very top – we used a long ladder and it was so tricky – and then we decorated the rest.
"You could see it from the highway and we lived a long way away."
Today, Allen estimates the annual setup takes about 300 person-hours. In fact, she takes a two-week sabbatical from work every November specifically to do it.
One problem. She's having a tough time controlling the urge to acquire even more baubles and trinkets.
"This year I tried to stay away from the stores because we've already bought so much," she laughed, "but one day we had to go out and buy a stapler and ended spending $1,000 on more goodies."
We asked if she believes she's a catalyst for Olalla's highly illuminating Christmas season.
"I think we help," she said. "The other guy at the opposite end of Olalla has more lights now and turns them on the same day we do.
"But it's a big deal to me. I figure if someone puts up just one string of lights, that shows they've got the Christmas spirit. And that's important. It's a time for giving, a time to be nice to everyone."
More Christmas shenanigans can be found all across town. Some of the best are 1504 Main St., 2627 7 St. and 2648 10 St., all of which are within a three-minute drive.
But certainly anyone venturing from the Penticton area to Olalla will want to extend their trip another five minutes to the 13.5-acre property of Spencer and Zola Goebel at 800 Hwy 3A.
Though the Goebels are technically a little south of Olalla, we had to include them in our wrap-up simply because their display is likely one of the finest in all of the Similkameen. That it's right on Highway 3 certainly doesn’t hurt its visibility.
Spencer and Zola began their infatuation with big-time decorating in 1998 while still living in Alberta.
"We lived way out in the country in Alberta," said Zola, "where about ten cars drive down the road every day. So even though we used to do stuff up, no one ever got a chance to see it.
"But here we’re on the big highway, so that’s pretty cool."
The Goebels have left very little of their immense front yard undecorated. One of the highlights is a mega-sized nativity scene. Another is a trio of burly Christmas-y characters made on site from old tires.
They're absolutely unique and just as impressive.
"My mom and I made them," said Zola with a smile. "She painted them."
Spencer explained that they sit on pallets and are hauled away by tractor at the end of the season.
As for the reasoning behind the sizable display, which takes three weekends to set out, Zola got all warm and cozy. And a wee bit philosophical.
"I always think Christmas lights and displays are kind of like life," she said.
"They don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. With the chaos that goes on in our world, if someone can stop for a few minutes and go 'Wow' and then carry on with a smile on their face, that’s what this season is all about."
The Goebels will run their show through to Ukrainian Christmas on Jan. 7.
Visitors are welcome to meander through the yard, though they need to be super wary of character support lines. They're everywhere, and it's hard to spot them in the dark.
