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By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – When Warren Watts and family decorated their home for Christmas this year, they put a lot of time, effort and love into their Christmas display.

“My wife and I love to decorate and have been decorating since we first met in 1993,” Warren Watts said.

After receiving the top number of votes from the public, Warren, his wife Amy and their family were the winners of the 2021 Alabaster Tour of Lights.

Located at 1301 Simmsville Road, the Watts’ display included 61 inflatables, 15 drive-thru archways, 31 metal and mesh displays, 29 wooden displays and roughly 9,800 bulbs from miniature sized to C9 LED lights, Watts said.

“We started decorating the first week in November to try and give ourselves plenty of time to complete it before the Tour of Lights,” Watts said. “We are very blessed to be able to give back a small portion to our community, and we thank each and every one of those who voted for their kindness and love portrayed as you drove through looking at Christmas lights.”

The Alabaster Tour of Lights kicked off Dec. 1 with 21 houses participating this year throughout the city.

Alabaster Beautification Board President Marie Jordan said there was good participation this year with people being allowed to vote for their favorite Christmas display on Facebook.

“We think people enjoyed being able to do that,” Jordan said. “It was another good tour, and we are always looking for ways we can improve for the next year. We appreciate people taking the time to get online and vote for their favorite.”

The top five houses were:

-1301 Simmsville Road

-1241 Falling Star Lane

-404 Heathersage Road

-149 Ashford Way

-1813 Arrow Drive

Jordan said businesses throughout the city donated prizes to be awarded to the top vote recipients.

“We had some truly wonderful prizes this year, and it was so nice of the local businesses to donate such wonderful items for those that won,” Jordan said. “We had more than 18 prizes donated.”

Jordan said the ultimate goal is for families to enjoy looking at Christmas lights throughout the city.

“We want people to enjoy the time with their families, to create new memories, and to drive by and see some beautifully decorated houses at Christmastime,” Jordan said. “You can create a lot of memories by spending that time together as a family.”

Watts said this was his family’s second year to participate in the Tour of Lights, and he is already planning his display for 2022.

Anyone interested in being a part of the tour for future years is always welcome to sign up by contacting the Alabaster Beautification Board.