When Michael and Rhonda McIlwrath moved to Church Street in 2001, they strung a few lights on the eves of their one-story home to celebrate Christmas and dotted the yard with a few holiday knick-knacks.

Soon, holiday fever caught on and their neighbors began decorating their homes as well. Thus began a friendly Church Street competition to see who could out-decorate the surrounding houses.

But after all that work, the question is: When do you de-decorate? Especially after putting all that work into putting up the lights.

Michael McIlwrath said once upon a time it took him only two days to outfit their home. But he said now that he’s no longer a spring chicken, it takes him about two weeks to lace the lights on the house and throughout the yard.

Nevertheless, his wife Rhonda said they follow a strict schedule when decorating.

"We start putting them up on Thanksgiving and start taking them down on New Year’s Day ... that’s pretty much the rule around here," she said.

"It takes a little effort, but it’s worth it," Michael McIlwrath added.

In addition to the extensive lights and blow-up jazz band on their lawn that features a penguin playing the drum, the McIlwraths have a snowglobe with swirling snow.

The light display consumes not only a good bit of time, but also a fair share of funds. The McIlwraths said they have spent more than $600 on the colorful Christmas show gracing their front yard.

The McIlwraths aren’t the only ones on Church Street exuding the holiday spirit. Across the street, Mike and Melody Delong have joined the light festivities as well.

A blow-up Santa Claus rides a motorcycle and glows from their front yard this year, and lights line the house and front yard. "Mike (McIlwrath) told my husband that if he didn’t put something up, he would decorate the house for him," Melody Delong said.

But despite the preholiday preparations, the Delongs have their display down before the year is out.

"We take it all down after Christmas and before New Year’s," Melody said. "We’ll just take it all down and pack it up and put it in the loft until next year."

She added that the days following Christmas are prime time for purchasing Christmas ornaments for the front yard while they are on sale.

Michael McIlwrath counts on those sales to add to the fun for next year.

"The neighbor told me not to put any more decorations up," he said, "but it was on sale, so I had to put it up."