Township residents can register their homes to participate in Homegrown Moorestown’s 2023 holiday lights tour from Sunday, Nov. 26, through Thursday, Dec. 14.
“Every home is welcome to join; it doesn’t have to be professional,” said Gretchen Simmerson, co-founder of Homegrown Moorestown. “Hopefully it’s just people wanting to just make their home feel festive and fun for their neighbors to see.”
The organization held the township’s inaugural Halloween house decorating contest last month. Two homes per category received awards and 44 were entered. Simmerson and Homegrown Moorestown co-founder Celie Coleman received positive feedback from the event, with people wondering if there would be a Christmas-themed contest.
Instead of hosting a holiday lights contest, the pair decided – as Simmerson recalled – to light up the town.
“We didn’t really want to do that (hold a contest) right away,” Simmerson said, “but we thought, ‘A contest might be a lot, because so many people decorate anyway and some people get professional lights.’ so we thought, ‘Let’s just light up the town (and) bring holiday cheer to Moorestown.’”
All registered homes will be featured on a lights tour map for self-guided tours in town during December. It will first become available on Tuesday, Dec. 5, then be updated every Friday with more registered homes.
“Everyone can get in the spirit …” Simmerson advised. “Even for the Halloween (contest), people said they put on Halloween music and drove around. So we’re hoping it’s the same idea.
“Just get in your car (and) view all the lights.”
According to its website, Homegrown Moorestown believes that one of the most important parts of a positive community is people coming together, so it offers information on the many events around town. The organization wants residents to share their pride in being Homegrown Moorestown.
“This is another event to bring the community together and just in a positive way,” Simmerson explained. “It’s truly just for fun – and that’s what our whole mission is about.”
Moorestown has a lot going on next month with the community house’s fifth annual children’s holiday shop on Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2, followed by the tree lighting celebration on Monday, Dec. 4. Nonprofit MoorArts will present its holiday arts festival on Saturday, Dec. 2, and the Moorestown Lions Club will host its holiday parade the same day.
Simmerson is happy to see how the lights tour enhances the holiday season.
“We want to bring one more thing that brings spirit to the town and cheer around the holidays,” she said. “ … Driving home to see my own home decorated makes me happy, and just driving through the streets, I love seeing other homes decorated …
“We hope it just brings cheer to the town.”
For more information on events, visit https://homegrownmoorestown.wixsite.com/moorestown/lightstour.
