’Tis the season of lights. 

If you have never gone around San Ramon to see all the festively decorated houses with Christmas decorations, it’s finally the time of year that San Ramon shines bright at night. 

Here is a guide to a fun night filled with the best decorated houses in San Ramon. 

To start off the night, head toward Pine Valley Middle School to the corner house on Cabrillo Avenue that lights up the whole block. The house has many great decorations, but the first eye catcher is the Christmas train covering almost the whole perimeter of the lawn. 

After digesting the magnificence of the train, the rest of the decorations start unfolding. A large lit wreath arcs the front entrance. Just above the wreath is the roof that is covered in white and blue lights and pine trees. The best part of this house is the Grinch, who is mischievously stealing the lights of the house. Seeing this house is an instant dose of serotonin and worth the short drive.

After visiting the house on Cabrillo, I recommend driving further down Broadmoor Drive and making your way down Alcosta Drive to get an extra look at decorated houses. 

On Davona Drive there are plenty of well lit homes, but one house in Pecan Court right off of Davona Drive really caught my eye. This home has lights dangling from the roof all the way to the ground and is covered with candy canes of all different sizes.

Although the assortment of decorations were very nice, but what really made this house special was the Christmas music. Unlike the other houses, which have music connected to a radio station, this music is coming from speakers on the house. Be ready to roll your windows down to enjoy the festive tunes.

Next stop is Ascot Drive, which is located right across Montevideo Elementary School. Almost a dozen houses are lit up with matching color changing lights. All of the houses are in sync with one another, and with cheery music on the radio station 89.7 blaring, this street really stands out from the others.

Even though all of the houses have lights, they each have their unique arrangement of decorations. Deers, snowmen, and even a snow machine make Ascot Drive eye-catching. This street is definitely a must visit as it surely brings San Ramon that Christmas spirit.

On Mara Court, just across Montevideo Elementary, is one of my favorite hidden gems of the night. Not an inch of the house and yard goes without glowing lights and decorations. Even the grass and bushes are shining. 

Finally, the most popular neighborhood to see Christmas lights in San Ramon are the streets right across from Iron Horse Middle School off of Alcosta Boulevard. Overlook Drive is the first entrance to this Christmas portal.

This neighborhood is well known for their all-out Christmas decorations. From Charlie Brown to dozens of elves juggling and playing instruments, the festivities span a wide range of themes.

There are so many great houses in this neighborhood that it’s hard to choose just one that is the best, but one street that did an excellent job and definitely put a lot of effort into spreading Christmas joy is Hilltop Court. The Star Wars theme, a home with Santa and his reindeer on the roof, and even a house with singing trees make this court magical.

Have your radio ready as well, because this area loves to add some Christmas music to their lights. Just be prepared to be stuck in traffic in this neighborhood. It’s a big hit in San Ramon, so spending some extra time there is unavoidable.

If you need an activity to quickly get you into the Christmas spirit after daunting finals are over, make sure to check out these festive houses.