PECOS RIVER CHRISTMAS

In about 1990 the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce decided on a way to attract tourists here, which would also be good for the city, and something to make our city unique. The homeowners along our lake, the one formed by damming the Pecos River, would decorate their homes and property for Christmas. The idea caught on and almost all homeowners were cooperative. Rooftops and eves, trees, boat docks and walks were outlined with strings of colored lights or Southwestern luminarias. Figures, such as our carol singers cut from plywood, were illuminated brightly. All of this was reflected in the water, doubling the colorful effect. Then the Chamber of Commerce bought tour boats to navigate spectators up and down the three-mile length of the decorated wonderland.

The project has been successful and attracts tourists from surrounding cities such as El Paso and Albuquerque, and bus tours have added Carlsbad to their itinerary. The publicity has been good and we will probably continue this observance for some time. But the river is beautiful and glorious even in the daytime. I wanted to show how the lake sparkled in the sunshine as well as the homes lit up in the dark, and I wanted to remind us all the real reason why we were doing this.

See Also:  http://www.christmasonthepecos.com/COPPHOTOS.html