At the west end of Ocean Acres Drive in Kill Devil Hills, an ordinary gravel road becomes a holiday wonderland that delights local Christmas lovers. Every year for the last 42 years, the Poulos family has transformed their home into a Christmas paradise for all on the Outer Banks to enjoy.
It has now become an Outer Banks tradition to make the trip to the end of Ocean Acres to get a dose of the holiday spirit. As the road widens, colorful arcs of light guide visitors to a home that would put Clark Griswold to shame. Multiple sets of inflatable Santas, vintage toy trains, brightly lit nativity scenes, reindeer, snowmen, and elves line walkways and fill the lawn. Children delight in the garage-turned Christmas museum filled with stuffed toys and holiday village scenes.
It takes 12 weeks to prepare for the holiday light spectacular but all the effort is definitely worth the reward. The Poulos family agrees they continue with the tradition year after year because they love to see the smiles on visitor’s faces. The lights are turned on every night at dusk from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Santa Claus is known to make appearances at the home throughout the month so make sure you stop by and see this award winning home. (In 2005, it was named the Best Decorated Home in America by the Today Show on NBC.)
You can walk or drive through the winter wonderland. However, driving by will only give you a glimpse of the thousands of twinkling lights. To get the full experience, park before the holiday lights begin, (you’ll see plenty of parking before the lighted arches) and walk through the winter wonderland and see Christmas Lights, the Outer Banks style.