New Manchester, a thriving community in east Douglas County, is pleased to announce Christmas Lights Etc of Alpharetta will sponsor the first annual Illuminate New Manchester event.

“Residential Christmas lighting displays are growing in popularity each year” noted New Manchester resident Matt Burgess. With this in mind, Burgess conceived the idea of Illuminate New Manchester. The vision is to invite individuals to decorate the exterior of their home with outdoor Christmas lights and decor, illuminating all of New Manchester for the holidays.

“Asking neighbors to decorate their home for the holidays is an easy way to encourage community participation and beautification, especially when municipalities are cutting back on large centralized displays. I love driving home to my neighborhood lined with brilliantly lit houses.  It conjures up a feeling of great pride, and I would not be surprised if New Manchester leads other Atlanta communities in this community-driven trend.” said Burgess.

The community reached out to Christmas Lights Etc of Alpharetta for assistance in turning the idea into a reality. Christmas Lights Etc is one of the largest U.S. online retailers of Christmas Lights, lifelike Artificial Christmas Trees, Christmas Garland and Decor. “Community outreach is an important initiative for our company, and we are excited to give something back and help brighten the neighborhoods we live and work in” said co-founder William Hale when asked about the sponsorship.

The sponsorship will include discounts on Christmas lighting for participants as well as prizes for the favorite homes.  Participants can snap a photo and upload to NewManchester.org where they will be rated.