Newhallville Holiday Contest Turns On Lights

On one of the shortest, darkest days of the year, 25 Newhallville residents set out in a coach bus in search of holiday lights. 

The occasion, on Saturday night, was the second annual Newhallville holiday lighting house decorating contest. Its host was Jeanette Sykes, president and founder of The Perfect Blend, which was created ​“to uplift women in the Greater New Haven African American communities” by connecting professional women with young women of promise. 

“Last year we did cars,” Sykes told the small group already assembled on the bus at Lincoln-Bassett Community School amid the air of festive anticipation. ​“This year we’re stepping up our game.”

Among the judges, Diane Petaway, a member of the National Council of Negro Women, a co-sponsor of the event, was already in her seat. Sykes handed her a clipboard with categories for visual impact, craftsmanship, completeness (most creative), originality, with ratings from one (fairly done) to four points (fabulous job).

“We’re waiting on Dottie,” Sykes said, referring to NCNW president Dorthula ​“Dottie” Green, among the 15 judges in the contest, as a mother and her three kids boarded the bus followed by a young woman arrayed in holiday garb.

“I should have told her 4:30,” Sykes said. It was 5:15. The bus was scheduled to depart at 5.

Ten minutes later, Green appeared. It was time.

“If anyone wants to join, they can catch up,” Sykes said. ​“Let’s do this.”

Busdriver Angel Pagan pulled out of the Lincoln-Bassett driveway. The Temptations’ ​“Silent Night” rang out from a speaker amid lively chatter and the aroma of chicken wings in the mellow light of the interior.

“We started this when we were all shut down because of Covid and everyone was at home,” Sykes began, as the bus motored past Dix Deli on Dixwell, and passengers peered out into the black night. 

“This was a way we could do something positive while staying socially distanced, and also give people the chance to express themselves and be creative, and at the same time bring light to our neighborhood,” she said.

Across the aisle from Petaway was Crystal Beard-Morton, who took home first place last year for her elaborate inflatable decorations. She said she does the same for Easter, Valentine’s Day — all the holidays. ​“It lights up people’s day,” she said, as the bus stopped alongside a house featuring a perky-seeming bear with a red cravat and antlers. 

“What was the address?” someone called out. 

“Now, there’s a nice one,” Beard-Morton said, of a house tricked out with an illuminated display of presents. ​“You can tell they really took a lot of care with it.” 

The bus swayed to the side. ​“It’s too big and the street is too narrow,” Petaway said. Pagan deftly maneuvered the bus onto Willis Street. 

“Whew,” someone said.

Further down the aisle, Newhallville/Prospect Hill Alder Kimberly Edwards was settled beside Newhallville Alder Devin Avshalom-Smith. 

“It was an honor to be asked to be a judge in this contest,” Edwards said, as Donny Hathaway crooned ​“This Christmas.” ​“I love creativity. I love my neighborhood, and I love Christmas, so this is absolutely fantastic.”

Avshalom-Smith sounded a similar refrain.

“This is something that brings togetherness, it brings joy, and any opportunity to do that I’m there,” he said. ​“It’s a way to bring the neighbor back into neighborhood.” 

With that, the bus stopped on Shelton Avenue. 

“Everyone, this is the Learning Corridor,” Sykes announced, referring to the green space transformed by Newhallville community leader Doreen Abubakar from ​“The Mudhole” into ​“a vibrant space for community-building, family-friendly festivals and events.” 

“Let’s enjoy this for fifteen minutes,” Sykes said. ​“Then we’re back to the contest.”

Newhallville resident Carolyn Cooper was getting off the bus. 

Cooper said she came to New Haven from South Carolina on a ​“mission of mercy” for her sister-in-law, and ended up staying. Sykes invited to her to join the bus tour. 

“I appreciated that because we need to have the people meeting each other, neighbors meeting each other,” she said. ​“Otherwise, we’ll just have a hood with no neighbors.” 

In the bone-chilling air, Abubakar was handing out graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate to make s’mores.

“Every year around this time, this is what we do,” she said, as holiday lighting judges and residents enjoyed hot cocoa. ​“This is how we get to know our neighbors.” 

At the firepit nearby, Tahaji, 8, and La’amin, 4, were studiously toasting s’mores alongside Sykes as their grandmother looked on. 

“Fun,” said Tahaji, of the bus tour through her neighborhood for the house decorating contest. ​“I love this.”

Back on the bus, Sykes announced that Marlene Miller-Pratt, a founding member of the New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing, had ​“joined the party,” as she put it. 

“This is all about organizations helping each other,” Sykes said, before paying tribute to the late community organizer Hazel Williams, who hosted a small lights contest on Pond Street for 15 years.

“When we first started having this conversation, she called a lot of you guys to be in the contest last year and she was the one of the first ones to help us out, and she passed,” she said.

“She won second place last year,” someone said. ​“She was one wonderful lady.”

On the bus chugged, past a stretch of dark houses on Shepard Avenue, past a house illuminated in technicolor on Dixwell, past one with a Disney theme on Hazel, and another with three hatted penguins watching over an amused-looking snowman on Winchester. Pens scratched across the paper ballots. 

Then, on Thompson Street, a shout went up through the bus. 

“Look at that,” said Dorthula Green, the NCNW president, of the resplendent display featuring a menagerie of Seussian characters. ​“That is just wonderful. And this is a wonderful thing that we’re doing, celebrating each other’s expressions of creativity, finding pride in each other.” 

By then, Pagan, the driver, was negotiating another tight turn around a line of cars.

“Uh oh, he’s going to hit it,” someone said. ​“No, he’s got it,” Sykes replied. Which he did, with everyone breaking into applause.

“That’s what happens when he has a bunch of backseat drivers that are women,” someone said, to cascades of laughter. 

“Last one,” Sykes announced, rushing down the steps and outside to get the house number, as a group in the front seat posed for a selfie before leading tour-goers and judges in a full-throated sing-along of Teddy Pendergrass’ ​“When Somebody Loves You Back.” 

When Sykes returned, a call went out for a collection of tips for the driver. 

“Same place, same time, next year,” Sykes called out after a group photo. With that, everyone dispersed, their laughter echoing in the pitch-black night.