For the second year in a row, the Pony Expresso Coffee Shop took top honors in the annual Christmas decorations contest for Dolores businesses.
Owners Mark Looper and Theresa Howell are known for their community and holiday spirit.
Every year they up they improve the display, Looper said. For the 2016 holiday season, they planted a blue spruce as a veterans tree and decorated it with purple lights and gold ornaments.
The outdoor display also included an angel, horse and sleigh, snowman, bear, and two five-foot tall nutcracker statues welcoming customers.
Putting the icing on the cake was an elaborate light show synchronized to holiday music.
“We had five metal trees with lights and candy canes on the building and they all danced and flashed to the music,” Looper said. “In all, we had 28,000 lights. The ribbon lights change to five different colors, the meteor lights look like they are dripping.”
For their monumental effort, the couple was awarded a $75 gift certificate to offset the electricity bill.
“It will help,” Looper said. “But the main reason we do it is to inspire other businesses and residents to light up their stores and homes. The goal is to have a the whole community become a giant light show that attracts people to come and take a Christmas tour in Dolores.”
The Cozy Comfort RV Park also had an impressive display and took second place in the business holiday lighting show.
