The final judging for the Best Decorated Christmas House Contest 2017 is now complete. On the evening of December 26th, members of the Best Decorated Christmas House Contest subcommittee took a tour of Butterfield, selecting from scores of very well decorated houses to find the best-decorated Christmas houses. This year we are once again doing first, second and third prizes, with $100 for the best decorated Christmas house, $50 for the second, and $25 for the third. We will also list some Honorable Mentions, but no cash awards will be dispensed for the honorable mentions.

After a thorough review, the committee came up with the following list of winners:

First Prize:

2S214 Valley Road: This year’s first prize goes to another new contender: 2S214 Valley Road. The entire front facade of the house is outlined in attractive multicolor lights, including animated stars and a beautiful animated wreath. A combination of attractive decorations and good taste make this display the winner for 2017.

Second Prize:

2S280 Glen Avenue: One of last year’s honorable mentions, an old favorite, comes back to take second place. Like last year, attention to the little details makes this an interesting display. This year includes Santa’s sleigh, complete with a red runway, a cheerful snowman, a bright white cross, a nutcracker king guarding the front door, and much more. Lots of different elements make this display unique and special.

Third Prize:

21W011 Marlborough Lane: This year’s third prize goes to another old favorite: 21W011 Marlborough Lane. What helped them win was a combination of colorful lights, and multiple elements, all attractive and tastefully arranged. 21W011 Marlborough Lane has won honorable mention a number of times, and it is good see them finally win a cash prize for their efforts in keeping Butterfield beautiful.

Honorable Mentions:

21W000 Marlborough Lane: Across the street from this year’s third prize winner is our first honorable mention, 21W000 Marlborough Lane. It is also the first “000” address in Butterfield I have ever seen in Butterfield East. This house has attractive strings of colored lights, along with Santa riding in a wired sleigh with two wire reindeer. Nearby is a really neat “North Pole”, replete with signs pointing to Elves Landing, Santa’s Workshop and a Reindeer Crossing. On the other side of the driveway is a colorful collection of Christmas inflatable characters, as well as some solid plastic and wire figures from a variety of Christmas traditions.

21W214 Briarcliff Road: This display on Briarcliff Road has been a consistent favorite over the years, so once again we have opted to include it in our list of honorable mentions. The lighting on the bottom floor is attractive and lively, as are the colorful characters. If the owners add additional lighting on the top floors, this house will likely be a winner in future contests.

21W274 Ahlstrand Road: This ranch-style house is similar to 21W214 Briarcliff Road, and has a similar decorating style, including a variety of colorful characters. One difference is the use of a string of animated snowflake lights similar to the string of animated stars used with our first-prize winner, 2S214 Valley Road.

And there were many more, but time limits us from showing many of the excellent displays to be found throughout our subdivision. Checks are in the mail for all the winners – perhaps you could be next year’s big winner, when the prizes may get even bigger! Until then, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Doug Elwell, President
Butterfield Homeowners Association
doug@dougelwell.com