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Holiday Lights Make Early Appearance This Year As People Seek A Little Cheer

DENVER (CBS4) - The day after Thanksgiving may be the unofficial start to holiday decorating and hanging lights, but in 2020, many simply couldn't wait. Jon and Carmen Thompson says the switch started early in their Central Park neighborhood.

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"Immediately after Halloween I feel like maybe a couple weeks and I started seeing lights everywhere. Down the block some people did this weird tradition where they had skeletons and lights going," Carmen said.

Their lights are now up on their home as well, and for them life is just a little brighter.

"We were ready to go, we had been locked up at home for so long," Jon said.

For them and others already decked out for the holidays, its more than just décor.

"This year has been a little bit dark for everybody so whatever we can do to make it bright and chipper for everyone," Carmen said.

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They are not the only ones looking for a way to battle pandemic fatigue.

Areli Quezada and her husband Oswaldo Rosas are the owners of Bay's Construction LLC, and focus mostly on roofing jobs and gutter cleaning. The company recently added light hanging to their workload.

"We like Christmas we have two girls who love the lights and colors… it's also something fun to do," Quezada said.

Already she says they've seen about a 40% increase in requests compared to last year, with calls coming in at the end of October.

"A lot of people say that they want a brighter neighborhood, something to celebrate. It's been a rough 2020," she said.

For their small business the new opportunity is keeping the lights on, and for clients like the Thompsons, it's a win all around.

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"It feels good in two senses, one you're making everything bright and you're helping a local business," Carmen said.

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