Delmont neighborhood plans 2nd year of 'Monticello Lights' charity decorating competition

When residents of Delmont’s Monticello Drive replaced their annual Christmas party with a drive-thru decorating competition during the pandemic last year, they were looking for a way to bring the community together safely and perhaps raise a little money for charity.

Instead they ended up with more than $15,000 to split between the Delmont Public Library and the Project Bundle Up program, and a traffic jam all the way to Route 66.

“I love our neighborhood Christmas party and don’t want to see that go by the wayside, but this has been a great way to involve everyone’s family,” said Kelly Mazon of Delmont, who helped organize “Monticello Lights” in 2020 and also won the competition for most donations.

Visitors “voted” for their favorite decorations by donating at their favorite home.

“We had the traffic flow in our favor,” Mazon said with a laugh. “A lot of people who came through weren’t sure how big the neighborhood was, and they used a lot of their donation money on the first half of the houses.”

This year, the competition is set for Dec. 11-12, from 6-9 p.m. each night, and residents are bringing last year’s experience to bear.

“Our expectations were pretty low last year,” said Monticello resident Dana Soltesz. “This year everyone is a little more aware.”

After some long hours over Thanksgiving weekend, Monticello resident Zack Bruno’s yard already lights up the first big hill leading into the neighborhood, with purple rainbow LED icicle lights on the roof eaves, a yard full of inflatables that’s also partially blanketed in color-changing lights — and he’s not done yet.

“I have more lights and more inflatables on the way,” Bruno said, adding with a nod of his head: “Santa Claus riding a dinosaur.”

A Facebook event page has already gotten more than 1,500 responses, which Mazon said is encouraging.

“Last year when we were putting it together, no one had anything to do because of the pandemic,” she said. “So I’m curious to see how this year goes.”

Residents in the neighborhood also voted to choose a second local charity in addition to Project Bundle Up, with the Delmont Volunteer Fire Department winning their online poll.

Monticello residents will welcome fire department members the night before the competition for a special preview.

“I didn’t realize how much fun it would be,” said Soltesz, who ended up dressing up in a holiday-themed costume last year. “We had carloads of families, we even had a couple carloads of nuns who came out to see the displays.”

In addition, local businesses have pitched in: the Delmont Dairy Queen will donate 15% of sales Dec. 11-12 to each of the two charities, and officials from Lowe’s in Monroeville donated items that will be part of a surprise.

“I don’t want to give it away, but they donated some items that will help make things even more festive for people driving around the neighborhood,” Mazon said.

One of her neighbors is working on a website that will include an interactive scavenger hunt for those attending the competition, as well as a holiday quiz.

And, while everyone was keeping very quiet about their plans in the run-up to Thanksgiving, the street is beginning to light up as decorating schemes start to take shape.

Mazon guessed she and her family spent about eights hour a day from Friday to Monday getting their yard display situated.

“We have extension cords going into windows, it’s crazy,” she said. “We ended up with so many lights in the yard that we accidentally used them all. So right now I have no lights for my Christmas tree!”