By Sara Beth Williams–
Kelley Winters and her partner, who live on Karen Rae Court, have decked out their corner home with bright lights and winter inflatables for years, and have accumulated multiple nominations and wins in the city’s Best Lights in Citrus Heights contest.
Winters said she moved into the home 13 years ago, but that even while residing in her former home near Rusch Park in Citrus Heights, she’s always had “the Christmas house,” and has been amassing lights and decorations for at least 25 years.
In an email, the city confirmed that 7131 Karen Rae Ct. has been nominated in the Best Lights in Citrus Heights contest six times, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The city’s Best Lights in Citrus Heights contest began in 2019.
The city announced Thursday that Winters’ home won top honors in this year’s Best Lights in Citrus Heights contest in the Santa’s Favorite Overall category, for the best appearance and overall decoration. Winters said this is the second consecutive year her house has won.
The home is almost completely covered in bright lights including the roof, walls, and yard, stretching all the way around the corner. From brightly-lit wreaths and small and larger trees with lights, Christmas characters covered in lights and bright red lit borders around the yard, to decorated old-fashion street lamps standing at the entrance to the home, and multiple arches over the main driveway wrapped in bright red lights, the yard illuminates the foggy nights. Even a pickup truck in the driveway is decked out in holiday lights.
Winters and her partner, Scott Echols, added 10,000 more lights to their display, including multiple strings of lights along the rooftop. They begin decorating on Nov. 1 and spend every weekend setting up the elaborate layouts.
Winters also added multiple life-size Christmas and winter character inflatables across the street that drivers can see while they turn the corner. Someday, she wants to utilize a field across the street, with the owner’s permission, and build a holiday lights display that people can walk through.
Thanks to a nearby neighbor who organizes car show events, the neighborhood threw a “Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed party and invited the community out to enjoy the Christmas lights. Winters said there was a “good turn out,” and that the event featured Christmas music, popcorn and hot chocolate, and a mini classic car show of sorts took place, with “Nightmare Before Christmas” characters.
On Sunday evening, Winters hopes to throw another community event, but said the rain might interfere in pulling it off.
For 2026, Winters said she and a neighboring homeowner who won in the Snow Globe category are already planning their displays for next season, and that she hopes to encourage other homeowners in the court to decorate their homes next year.
