Merry and bright: Broadway Home Decorating contest brings families together

BROADWAY — When the sun went down on Monday evening, one yard on Essex Street in Broadway lit up.

Multicolored lights around the windows flashed as inflatable Santas, snowmen and penguins greeted passersby. There was a Santa Claus driving a tractor, a penguin standing on an igloo, a reindeer next to a “Christmas Countdown” that showed two days until the big day.

This was one of four homes in Broadway crowned the winners of this year’s Broadway Home Decorating contest, showing off everything from nativity scenes to homemade fake trees to curtains of dazzling lights.

One of the homes belonged to Steve Harpine, who has won the contest three years in a row in the “Incredible Inflatables” category for his extensive collection of Christmas inflatables.

Decorating the yard with inflatables is a family tradition passed down to Harpine from his father, who inherited many decorations from him. He said it took him four days to put all of them up.

“My dad used to put inflatables up every year in Harrisonburg,” Harpine said. “When he passed, we acquired all of his too. The ‘Grandma got run over by a reindeer’ one over in the corner; that’s the only one we have left of his because they break over the years.”

Harpine said his favorite inflatable is one of Santa Claus flying an airplane. It sits at the front of his yard, complete with a runway made of blue Christmas lights.

Those who drive by the Harpine home to see the lights can even tune in to a radio station, 89.9 FM, that plays Christmas music to accompany the light shows.

Another home was that of Bob and Debra Sutherland, who won the “Classic Christmas” category. They decided to enter the contest at the suggestion of their children.

“That was where it all started, that my kids said I should enter the contest,” Bob said.

Bob Sutherland bought most of the decorations from Wal-Mart or Lowes but made some small trees out of tomato cages. They even decorated the town lamppost outside their home.

Bob said he tried to find decorations that no one else in town had, buying unique decor whenever he saw it.

“I’ve got what’s called porch curtains, and it’s all lights. Nobody else I’ve seen has the porch curtains,” Bob said. “Then I put the Bethlehem star up above. I’ve seen stars [in town], but not the Bethlehem star. I just wanted to get some things I thought stood out. I wanted to get things that express me and impress my kids.”

A life-sized Santa figurine greets guests on the front porch, and a giant nutcracker sings Christmas songs. They even have two nativity scenes, one projected on the garage door and a smaller one near the road.

Bob, who is a minister at Shekhinah Tabernacle Church of God, said Christmas is important to the family because “it’s the celebration of our savior.” He and his wife have four children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. They pride themselves on having “the most kids on the block,” and their home is known as the family gathering place on Christmas Eve.

The Sutherlands’ daughter, Jacqueline Schroeder, who was not home Monday, won the “Creative Cheer” category for her own home. Broadway town council member Chad Comer won the “People’s Choice” award, which Broadway residents voted on.

Former deputy town manager Cari Orebaugh has stopped working for Broadway but still helps coordinate the contest and spent Monday morning counting votes and delivering yard signs to the winners. Three of the categories are decided by

Anonymous judges outside Broadway pick the winners in three categories, but residents vote on the “People’s Choice” award. This year, over 150 people voted, up from 100 last year.

According to Orebaugh, the contest began during the pandemic as a safe way to spread Christmas cheer. People could drive the route, see the lights from their cars, and even vote when the People’s Choice category was added last year.

“People pick up a scoring sheet at town hall over the weekend, then drive around, look at the lights and score them,” Orebaugh said. “People like that it’s a family-friendly activity that they can bring their families to, and it becomes a tradition.”

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