SALEM, Va. – Looking to get in the holiday spirit? Two Salem residents are here to help.
Salem resident Janet Chaney created a Facebook group, ‘Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays of Salem & Roanoke Area,’ to spread Christmas cheer in the form of decorations. She’s helping people find the brightest, most decorated homes in the area.
“I started the Facebook page last year in November because I decorate my home, I live off the beaten path, I live on a very not busy road,” said Chaney. “And I thought to myself, I put all this out here for people to enjoy and I would love a way to share and be able to see other people’s homes and let people know where the lights are in the area.”
When fellow Christmas lights enthusiast Jason Parker heard about the Facebook group he took it a step further and created a map with dozens of locations where you can find the most festive lights.
“There are all these little nooks and crannies of neighborhoods where people have a lot of Christmas spirit and want to decorate their homes. But now everybody gets to drive by those parts and see it. So that was the spirit of the group,” said Parker.
To find a decorated home near you, look at the interactive Google map that you can find on the group’s Facebook page, click on one of the locations to get directions and be transported to dazzling holiday light displays.
“Really what does it for us is seeing a smile on someone’s face or seeing a car drive by really slowly, we’re like, ‘Oh they really liked it,’” said Parker. “It’s those kinds of moments that make us know that what we’re doing are making people feel some type of joy,” he said.