What's Happening in Marietta, GA…

Marietta residents who live on Maple Avenue have begun to light up the street with Christmas light balls, which have become a tradition.

Susan Reid, a resident, got the idea from the Sunset Hills neighborhood of Greensboro. Reid thought the decorations would work well on Maple Avenue, and she and her family put up the first ball four years ago in their backyard. When neighbors saw the light ball, they asked how to make their own, and the custom was born.

Last year, resident Sarah Bullington set up a potluck for the neighborhood. Residents came to enjoy the meal, and brought along materials to make the light balls. Reid says that dinner seems to be where the entire group got on board with the idea.

Reid and her neighbors make the light balls by shaping chicken wire into spheres, then covering them with standard Christmas lights. The balls are then hoisted into the trees, and the lights are connected together, leaving enough of the cord available so the lights can be plugged in. The final results are glowing ball of lights high in the trees, which add a magical feeling to the season.

Neighbors could work with a flyer printing company to create a ‘how-to’ set of instructions for others who might want to make the light balls. They could leave them in Boxes for visitors to pick up.Get a Free Quote for Boxes