Payson Roundup | Payson, AZ

The Rim Country’s night skies are a little more dazzling thanks to the annual Light the Rim event.

Each year, the Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Payson Roundup and other sponsors invite area residents to enter a holiday lighting contest. This year, the eighth for the event, 32 residents participated to make the holidays brighter.

Tying for the $250 first prize were Payson residents Ted and Lonna Spinney of 1007 Chatham Drive and Joy Edwards and Stacy Koontz of 1113 S. Deer Born Drive.

The second place award of $150 went to Rick and Marlene Kubiac of 8720 Tonto Rim Drive, Strawberry, and Ron and Leona Bouman of 900 Country Lane, Payson. H & H Heating and Cooling donated the money for the prizes.

Ted and Lonna Spinney aren’t novices when it comes to putting on a

light show at their home for the holidays. The couple has participated in the contest for seven years. Their entry took fourth place last year and has also won a third place, so they were thrilled to finally win a first place, Spinney said.

His display has between 5,000 and 8,000 lights and he starts putting it up the third week of October.

“I’m 75, so I can’t do eight- to 10-hour days on it. It generally takes about four weeks to get in place and between 125 and 150 hours,” he said.

Generally his designs just “go with the flow” of a general theme — he calls this year’s display a little bit of Disneyland. Though somewhere along the line he started planning it out a little more — and is already making plans for next year.

“I have a small lot, so most of it is just rearranging things and adding a few new elements.”

New this year are giant candy canes — they’re 9 feet tall; cardinals and a big peacock; figurines of Santa and Mrs. Claus kissing; a train the Spinneys call the Gingerbread Express; frames to match the contour of the front of the house that are decorated with lights and more. He also has music playing.

“It isn’t coordinated with the display — the box that did that broke. But it still adds to the experience.”

Spinney said the first thing people ask him about his display is where he stores it all. He said once it is all dismantled and organized it fits in his garage and still leaves plenty of room for everything else.

The Spinney display goes on around 5:30 every evening and will be available for viewing through Dec. 31.

See the lights:

Below is a list of the participating addresses in the 2012 Light the Rim event:

1. 713 W. Rim View Road (McLane)

2. 1202 W. Random Way (Western-South)

3. 403 S. Brassie (Mesa Dr.)

4. 609 N. Hogan Dr. (Vista)

5. 2014 N. Saddle Blanket (McLane)

6. 402 N. Arabian Way (McLane)

7. 107 W. Sherwood Dr.

8. L1205 N. Camelot Dr. (Alpine Hts. Dr.)

9. 906 N. Hillcrest Dr. (Sunshine Lane)

10. 207 E. Forest Dr. (Easy)

11. 608 E. Park Dr.

12. 908 E. Wade Circle (Mud Springs)

13. 506 E. Continental Dr. (Manzanita)

14. 600 E. Elk Ridge Dr. (Phoenix St.)

15. 1113 S. Deer Born Dr. (Phoenix St.) -

FIRST PLACE WINNER (TIE)

1. 900 W. Country Lane (Sherwood) -

THIRD PLACE WINNER

1. 928 W. Sherwood Dr. (McLane)

2. 701 N. Foxhill Circle (Boulder Ridge)

3. 1007 W. Chatham Dr. -

FIRST PLACE WINNER (TIE)

1. 1207 W. Birchwood Road (Longhorn)

2. 1301 W. Stirrup Way

3. 68 E. Rainbow Dr. (Moonlight Dr.) -

Star Valley

1. S215 Cedar Mill (Houston Creek Rd.) -

Star Valley

1. 179 Claxton Rd. - Diamond Point

2. 7403 N. Toya Vista - Mesa del Caballo

3. 7574 N. Toya Vista - Mesa del Caballo

4. 6511 Randall Place - Pine

5. 6672 Bradshaw Dr. - Pine

6. 9175 Circle Dr. - Strawberry

7. 8720 Tonto Rim Dr. (Rimwood Dr.) -

Strawberry - SECOND PLACE WINNER

1. 5077 Highway 87 - Strawberry

2. 5079 Highway 87 - Strawberry

Get a map to the homes of the Light the Rim contest participants in the Friday, Dec. 14 Payson Roundup.