Red Deer’s Christmas Light Tour is back — and it’s bigger and brighter than ever.
Jim Elliott and his son A.J. have been scouting for the most spectacular light displays in the city and mapping them so area residents can take self-guided tours.
“We have added a great deal of new content this year,” said Elliott, who’s been creating Christmas light tours in Red Deer since 1972.
At first Elliott used to drive Michener Centre clients around the city during his off-hours from his taxi driver job.
“To see the smiles on their faces when they saw all those sparkling colored Christmas lights, it was a site to behold,” he recalled.
Later, while working with the Red Deer Transit System, Elliott started renting buses from the city. He provided light tours for students of the Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre, as well as women’s shelter clients.
About five years ago, when renting buses became too costly, Elliott and A.J. began creating a map for self-guided tours.
“This year is going to be the best, ever,” he promises. “A.J. has added six new subdivisions and the total time to see it all is well over four hours.”
The tour is broken down into four separate sections so that people can focus on the area they want to see.
Elliott said he’s pleased to give this annual gift to the community: “The city that has been so kind to my family… I have tried to teach my children that giving back to the community that you love is the best thing you can ever do.”
Highlights of 2019 Red Deer Christmas Light Tour:
- Downtown: City Hall and the Park
- Riverside Meadows: 60 Street, 60 Avenue
- Fairview: Fern Road, Freemont Crescent, Fairway Avenue
- Glendale: Gunn Street, 71 Street
- Normandeau: Nyberg Avenue, Noble Avenue, Nordegg Crescent, Norton Ave
- Pines: Pamely Avenue
- Garden Heights: Garrison Circle
- Oriole Park: Oleander Dr, Ohio Cl, Orwell Cl, Oxbow St, Odell Gr, Oates Gr, Oakley Cl
- West Park: Wells St, Wilkins Gr, Wilson Cr, Welton Cr, 35 St, 36 St
- Bower: Baines Crescent, Baird Street, Barrett Drive (south end of the drive)
- Mountview: Spruce Drive (2), 45 Ave, 43 Ave (one south end and other by pharmacy)
- Morrisroe: McConnell Close, Moseley Close, McFarlane Street
- Eastview: Edgington Cl, 35A Ave, Edwards Cr, Excell St, Eline St, Elwell Ave, Ellenwood Dr
- Clearview: Castle Crescent, Cornett Drive
- Rosedale: Russell Crescent, Ramsay Avenue, Robinson Crescent, Rutherford Drive
- Michener: Michener Green, 38A Avenue
- Sunnybrook: Spencer Street, Sherwood Crescent/Stirling Close (Corner)
- Anders: Anders St, Arb Cl, Allan St (2), Anquetel St, Ansett Cr, Alton Cl, Assinger Ave
- Lancaster: Logan Close, Lamont Close, Lister Crescent
- Deer Park: Deschner Close, Dynes Street (2), Dodge Avenue
- Parkland Gardens: Off Highway 11, left side Parkland Garden Center and Ice Sculptures.
Here is the complete route, broken into four parts:
Route A:
Start: Donald School of Business (4909 49 Street), east on 49 Street, L on 47 Avenue, L on Ross Street, (circling around City Hall and the Park - beautiful), R on Taylor Drive, R on Kerry Wood Drive, L on 60 Street, L on 60 Avenue, L on 55 Street, R on Kerry Wood Drive, R on Fir Street, L on Fern Road, L on Freemont Close, continue left on Freemont Close, R on Fairway Avenue, L on Fern Road, L on Kerry Wood Drive, L on Taylor Drive, R on Grant Street, L on 59 Avenue, R on Gunn Street, R on Glendale Boulevard, R on Grant Street, L on 59 Avenue, L on 71 Street, R on Northey Avenue, L on Nash Street, L on Nyberg Avenue, R on Niven Street, L on Nance Avenue, L on Nolan Street, R on Noble Avenue, R on Nurse Street, R on Norton Avenue, L on Norquay Street, L on Nordegg Crescent, R on Norton Avenue, R on 76 Street, R on Gaetz Avenue, L on Phelan Street, L on Parke Avenue, R on Page Avenue, R on Pamely Avenue, L on 67 Street, L on Garden Gate, L on Greenway Street, R on Garrison Circle, around the Circle to, L on Garrison Place to, R on Greenway Street, R on Garden Gate, R on 67 Street, L on Gaetz Avenue, back downtown (through old Gaetz Avenue, Wei’s Western Wear), L on 49 Street, returning to the Donald School of Business.
Route B:
Start: Donald School of Business (4909 49 Street), east on 49 Street, L on 47 Avenue, L on Ross Street, R on Taylor Drive, L on Oliver Street, R on Odell Green, continue L on Odell Green, L on Overdown Drive, L on Oates Green, clockwise around the Green, back out around to L on Overdown Drive R on Ohio Close (almost the entire close is decorated… breathtaking), continue around the Close, R on Overdown Drive, on to Oleander Drive, L on Oxbow Street, R on Ogden Avenue, R on Ockley Close, around the Close, R on Ogden Avenue, R on Oldbury Street, L on Oleander Drive, R on Taylor Drive, R on 45 Street, R on 43 Street, R on Westgate Avenue, R on Wiltshire Boulevard, L on Welton Crescent, L on Wiltshire Boulevard, R on Westgate Avenue, R on West Park Crescent, R on 59 Avenue, on to Wishart Street, R on Wilson Crescent, L on Wilkins Green, counter-clockwise around the Green, back out to L on Wilson Crescent, L on 57 Avenue, R on 36 Street, R on 55 Avenue, R on 35 Street, L on 57 Avenue, L on Wells Street, R on 55 Avenue, L on 32 Street, R on Taylor Drive, L on 28 Street, on to Molly Banister, R on Barett Drive, R on Bettenson Street, L on Baines Crescent, around the Crescent, L on Bettenson Street, L on Barett Drive, L on Baird Street, R on Barrett Drive, travel all the way around to, R on Bettenson Street, L on Barrett Drive, L on Molly Bannister Drive, R on Bremner Avenue, R on 30 Street, L on 47 Avenue, R on 32 Street, L on Spruce Drive, on to 48 Avenue, L on Ross Street, returning to City Hall.
Route C:
Start: Donald School of Business (4909 49 Street), east on 49 Street, L on 47 Avenue, L on Ross Street, City Hall Park, L on 49 Street, R on 48 Avenue, on to Spruce Drive, L on 37 Street, R on 45 Avenue, L on 35 Street, R on 41 Avenue, R on 33 Street, R on 43 Avenue, R on 39 Street, R on 40 Avenue, L on McBride Crescent, R on Malcolm Crescent, R on McConnell Close, return to R on Malcolm Crescent, L on Mitchell Avenue, R on Michiels Street, L on Moseley Close, L on Michiels Street, L on McFarlane Avenue, R on the service road south side 39 Street, L on Maxwell Avenue, on to Edgington Close, around the close, R on Service Road north side of 39 Street, R on 35A Avenue, R on 35 Avenue, R on 44 Street, on to Excell Street, R on Edwards Crescent, R on Edwards Close, back to L on Edwards Crescent, R on Excell Street, R on Ellenwood Drive, L on Eline Street, L on Elwell Avenue, L on Ellenwood Drive, L on 39 Street, L on 30 Avenue L on Ellenwood Drive, R on Erickson Drive, on to Cornett Drive, L on Clark Crescent, R on Castle Crescent, continue to, L on Castle Crescent, around the close, R on Castle Crescent, L on Clark Crescent, L on Cornett Drive, R on Carroll Crescent, into Legacy Estates, around the parking lot, back out to Carroll Crescent, R on Cornett Drive, on to Rollis Street, L on Ray Avenue, L on the second entrance to Richards Crescent, R on Russell Crescent, on to Ramsay Avenue, L on Rutledge Crescent, L on Randolph Street, L on Robinson Crescent, L on Reinholdt Avenue, L on Reichley Street, L on 55 Street, L on Rutherford Drive, R on Rollis Street on to Cornett Drive, R on Ross Street, R on 38 Avenue, R on 50A Street, L on Michener Crescent, R on Michener Green, R on Michener Crescent, L on 38A Avenue, R on 50A Street, L on 39 Avenue, R on Ross Street, returning to City Hall.
Route D:
Start: Donald School of Business (4909 49 Street), east on 49 Street, L on 47 Avenue, L on Ross Street, (circling around City Hall and the Park - beautiful), L on Gaetz Avenue, L on 49 Street, R on 48 Avenue, on to Spruce Drive, L on 32 Street, L on Springfield Avenue, L on Spencer Street, R on Sherwood Crescent, L on Stirling Close, continue L on Stirling Close, L on Spencer Street, L on Sherwood Crescent, around the crescent to, L on Spencer Street, R on 40 Avenue, L on Allan Street, L on Addinell Avenue, R on Anders Street, L on Ayers Avenue, R on Anquetel Street, R on Ansett Crescent, R on Allan Street, L on Allsop Avenue, R on Alton Street, R on Alton Close, around the close, back out to, L on Alton Street, R on Allsop Drive, L on Austin Drive, L on Addington Drive, R on Adamson Avenue, L on Assinger Avenue, R on Addington Drive, R on Avery Street, on to Lee Street, R on Lockwood Avenue, L on Lancaster Drive, L on Lister Crescent, R on Lockwood Avenue, R on Logan Close, counter-clockwise around the close, R on Lockwood Avenue, R on Lamont Close, around the Close, R on Lockwood Avenue, R on 32 Avenue, L on Daines Avenue, R on Duston Street, R on Deschner Close, around the Close counter-clockwise, L on Dynes Street, R on Deschner Close, L on Duston Street, R on Duffield Avenue, R on Dowler Street, on to Dodge Avenue, R on Dempsey Street, L on Donlevy Avenue, on to Rideout Avenue, R on Reichley Street, R on 55 Street, on to Highway 11, to finish at the Parkland Garden Center (Ice Sculptures).
