Longboat Key neighborhoods light up for the holidays

Once the Thanksgiving turkey is gone, some residents get busy untangling and plugging in holiday lights. 

About 500 lights will sparkle around Bayport Beach and Tennis Club this year. Pat Shutello said she and other volunteers try to vary the decorations  each year. Over at Spanish Main Yacht Club, pre-lit reindeer, presents and a snowman greet residents and guests as they drive into the complex.

Board President Pat Knudson said she and other volunteers are wary of having the same look each season. This year, an angel was added as well as additional lights around some shrubbery. 

Aside from the aesthetics, Knudson recommends paying close attention to the technical details. Nothing is worse than an imaginative light design that won’t light up.

“Well, what we have had to work around is obviously windy conditions, securing the display as well, with sometimes winds that come up in the afternoon and also dealing with moisture and making sure you have the correct connections so come midnight, the lights don’t go all out,” Knudson said.

Jim Jordan, senior branch manager for Bright View Landscaping on Longboat, said decorations don’t have much effect on the health of landscaping.

Grass, flowers and other shrubbery can be watered as long as the holiday lights are properly insulated, Jordan said.

Installing larger-scale decorations, such as light-up snowmen, won’t  cause permanent damage. Jordan recommends being cautious of placement, though.

“Obviously, it can leave a mark in the turf,” Jordan said. “[It’s] nothing that wouldn’t recover. It would be no different than if you parked your car in the grass.”