'Tis the season for lights, right?

As the turkey leftovers are being put away and the waistlines are returning to normal sizes, it is time to go out and see the dazzling decorations in the area. Going to see the lights is something that families look forward to every year, as the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas marks the peak of light season, the local area seems to be a little dark this year.

True to tradition, the Pastega family still has the light, sound and action display around the Pepsi Bottling Co. With animatronic displays featuring cartoon characters along with the OSU Beavers, the Pepsi Display has something for people of all ages in the car. Located at the north end of Corvallis, near Highway 99, you can’t miss it as you drive past it.

However, one display that was just as impressive is no longer being lit. The light display was put up by two private houses in a horseshoe shaped driveway along Peoria Rd. The neighbors had decided last year that they weren’t going to put the display up any more. Now except for a few small light displays, Peoria Rd. now sits dark.

The other place to go see some rather impressive light displays is the hill on the outskirts of Philomath. However, this year there is only one house that has a display worth driving five or more miles to see. Usually most of the hill is lit up with a brilliant collection of multi-colored lights. The hill outside Philomath sits in the dark as well.

Perhaps it is too early in the season for some people to have their lights up, or maybe with the economy people just can’t afford to have their lights blazing this year.