“Christmas Street,”located 1735 S. 1500 East, has been a Sugar House tradition for over 70 years. Every house on the street is lit up with holiday decorations, and some Westminster students have made visiting the street each year a tradition. Photo by Jessika Huhnke
The residents of Glen Arbor Drive in Salt Lake City have been altering their ordinary street into a bright holiday wonderland known as Christmas Street each December for the past 70 years.
“Oh, gosh. My family has been involved with the tradition of Christmas Street for over 20 years,” said a resident of Glen Arbor Drive. “We as a street all own the bright neon sign that gets put up at the entrance of our street every year.”
It’s hard to miss: a banner with the words “Christmas Street” is bridged across the entrance of the neighborhood. As families and friends visit each year, every house is lit up bright with a wide variation of holiday cheer.
“I love seeing people from other places come and visit our street,” said a retired Westminster professor who is also a resident of Glen Arbor Drive. “Our cul-de-sac has the oldest running tradition of decorating this way in the United States that I am aware of.”
Neighbors gather together year after year with additions and experiments to this local tradition.
“One year, someone had the bright idea to bring in a literal horse to pull a sleigh for the kids,” one local said. “It was a great idea until it pooped everywhere.”
Get a feel for Salt Lake’s very own Christmas tradition. Sugar House’s Christmas Street is located at 1735 S. 1500 East in a Sugar House cul-de-sac.
“I visit this street every year with my friends as our own Christmas tradition because it is beautiful, the people are friendly and of course it is free to check out,” said Leigh Morgan, a Westminster transfer student who is currently studying hair at the Paul Mitchell School.
