Column: Awarded Best Light Display: Stephanie and Doug Hoffman, 407 W. 11th Street
Walk of the Town: Holiday Edition!
Stephanie and Doug Hoffman have electrified their neighborhood for all to see as they have paid such incredible detail to the organization and layout of their Christmas lights at 407 W. 11th Street, The Dalles.
Column & Photos by Sarah Cook
Dear readers, I present to you below the fourth—and final!—installment of the 2022 Annual Best in Snow Awards.
Awarded Best Light Display: Stephanie and Doug Hoffman, 407 W. 11th Street
Stephanie and Doug Hoffman, 407 W. 11th Street recipients of Best Light Display in the Best in Snow Awards.
A little crookedness and some minor inconsistencies aren’t a big deal when hanging lights—that is, until you stumble upon a house like Stephanie and Doug’s, and you suddenly realize what’s possible. From the border lights running along the bushes and fence, to the wraparound strand evenly spaced on the pillar by their front door, to their main centerpiece, a flawlessly decorated tree that gives the Huteson’s a run for their money: precision is the theme at the Hoffman house, and it pays off tremendously at night.
When I met Doug and Stephanie in person one afternoon to snap a picture of their smiling faces in the daylight, I couldn’t immediately see the reason I’d chosen their house a few nights back. Sure, there is an absolutely gigantic Frosty inflatable hanging out in their driveway, but my notes said, best lights.
Walking back that evening with my partner, there was no need to double-check the address: we saw the house, and that magnificently lit tree, from blocks away. It is truly an amazing thing to see in the dark.
But installing lights with this level of detail and accuracy has to be completed during the day— especially since the tree in the Hoffman’s yard has gotten big enough to warrant Doug’s climbing onto the roof to decorate it fully, which Stephanie told me about through mildly nervous laughter. “Is it better for you not to watch it happen?” I asked her, and she gave me a knowing look, followed by a chuckle. (I sensed a mix of ultimately supportive feelings—20% frightened, 10% doubtful, but 70% enthusiastic and proud.) It’s clear how hard Doug works on this scene, and how much he and Stephanie revel in the results, which get to grow in conjunction with the pace of nature. Bigger tree, bigger holiday show.
As I close out the holiday edition of this column, I find myself reflecting on the magic of letting people know when they’ve made something that created an experience of joy in your life. Being a lifelong writer, I’ve spent years getting pretty cozy with this truth: that I will put essays and poems and other weird, personal texts out into the world and won’t always hear about the inspiration or guidance they offer others; that I cannot take this lack of knowing and make it mean something about what I do. We have to trust in the validity of our creative channel and keep going. Noticing how often I read something that changes the fabric of my life—makes me see myself, or the world around me, in an expanded way—helps me root back into that trust about my own work. And as a writing and creativity coach, I know intimately what it looks like both from the inside and the outside to sometimes feel that trust faltering.
But connecting with these local families has reminded me that, as silly or pointless as it can feel, it is an absolute gift to let someone know when their creativity has affected your life in a positive way. The enthusiasm and joy that I witnessed from everyone I spoke with was a testament to the power of expressed gratitude—that gratitude can, in fact, be its own creative gesture. How could
it not be? You are literally creating something (a feeling, a temporary kinship, a sense of reciprocity) that didn’t exist before you expressed it. Or consider the imagination it takes to reach out to someone you don’t know very well or at all, someone who might not even get back to you, with a simple, Hey, I really like this thing you did…
Well, I really like this thing Stephanie and Doug did! And now they know I liked it, and so do you! My interview with Stephanie, conducted by email, can be found below.
Sarah Cook (SC): Have your holiday decorations and lights always been as impressive as they are now? Tell me a little bit about the history of your decorating.
Stephanie Hoffman (SH): “We have always tried to do at least some decorating outside. We try to keep it simple, yet impressive. We’ve experimented with different things in the past, like using more characters, bells, or angels. We switched some of our lights to LED this year, which has made a huge difference.”
SC: When do your decorations go up, and when do you take them down?
SH: “Our decorations usually go up after Thanksgiving and we keep them up through New Year’s."
SC: Do you have a favorite component of your decorations, or something that you two are the most proud of?
SH: “It's hard to pick which piece we love the best, but probably the tree. People really notice it. We like the red, white and blue, and it gets taller every year. Kids also love our Frosty inflatable.”
SC: If money and spacial limitations were not a factor, is there anything you’d add to your current set-up?
SH: “We would love more space to add more pieces to. The lights on the house are pretty old; not sure how many more seasons we will get out of them, and you don't see them anywhere else.”
Subtle daylight strands.
SC: Besides decorating, what’s your favorite thing about this time of year?
SH: “We love the feeling of Christmas, and spending time with family.”
SC: Lastly, why is it so important to you to decorate your house? What would you be missing out on if you didn’t?
SH: “We love to hear people say they drove by our house and they loved the decorations or that their kids really like Frosty. I would miss coming home in the evening or leaving in the morning and seeing the lights. I would miss watching cars slow down to look at the lights. I believe the decorations help people get in the Christmas spirit. As a kid, my parents used to drive us around to look at lights. It was one of my favorite things to do.”
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Clearly, Stephanie isn’t alone.
Tune in next year for more awards throughout the month of December!
Is there a spectacular yard, incredible house, jaw-dropping garden or weird public display of yard art that catches your eye on your daily route? Email nominations for future “Walk of the Town” features directly to me, year-round, at sarah.teresa.cook@gmail.com.
This story is sponsored by :
The Dalles Iron Works
Welding, Machining & Fabrication Since 1905 at 720 E. 2nd St., The Dalles.
Jon Keyser and his crew can solve your problems big or small, ranging from the manufacture of ornate iron gates to repairing heavy equipment. His team includes wife Holly and son Jon Jr. who have spent years dedicating themselves to community good, most notably on the Dufur Volunteer Fire & Ambulance.
