The Parkway Christmas Light Installation in Folsom

Somebody else mows your front lawn. Somebody else has opinions about your paint color. And your car can’t sleep on the street. So when Folsom neighbors ask us about The Parkway Christmas light installation, they usually start with “are we even allowed?” Let’s start there too. Or skip ahead and call (916) 659-6549.

The Parkway is run by the Parkway at Folsom Owners Association, with an office right on Willow Bend Road. It covers 1,933 lots and it has a reputation for keeping things uniform. We could not find its holiday decoration rule published anywhere we could read it, so we’re not going to guess at dates and neither should you.

What we do instead is simple. You ask the office what the current rules allow and when, then call (916) 659-6549. We plan the install inside that, and we plan the January takedown inside it as well. If you’re in Rivage at the Parkway, the condominium section has its own association, and the outside of the building may not be yours to decorate. Ask them before we talk ladders.

A few things get you a letter in the mailbox on a street like yours. This is how we stay clear of each one.

• Clips only. Nothing nailed, stapled or drilled into your stucco, trim or roof.
• Cords run along trim and down corners, not draped over the walkway like a clothesline.
• Timers set so the lights shut off at a reasonable hour.
• We keep off common-area trees, trail fencing and anything else the association owns.
• Our truck comes and goes in daylight. With no overnight street parking in here, we’re not adding to the problem.

These homes went up starting in the mid 1990s, built by production builders, so the rooflines along a street tend to rhyme. That’s good news. Clean roofline lights on the eaves, gutter runs and garage peak look sharp when the houses on both sides have the same bones. We bring the lights and do every bit of the ladder work.

The front yard takes a little more thought, because the association’s landscapers maintain it. Stake lighting along the walk goes in tight to the concrete, away from sprinkler heads and out of the mower’s path. Nobody wants a string trimmer finding a cord. Tree wraps work on the trunk of a front-yard tree, tied snug but not tight, and we’d suggest letting the office know it’s there.

At the door, pillar wraps on porch columns, a lit wreath high on the gable and lit garland around the entry carry a lot of weight for very little fuss. There’s more on our wreath hanging page if that’s your style.

Back onto the creek? More than a third of The Parkway is preserved habitat along Humbug-Willow Creek, with about five miles of trail threading between the villages. If the Humbug-Willow Creek Parkway trail runs behind your fence, every evening walker sees your back eaves. Some folks light them. If you’re near Philip C. Cohn Park, the side facing the park is worth a thought too.

We’re a Folsom family crew, and The Parkway is a few minutes from home for us. We also work in Natoma Station and all around the rest of Folsom.

Quotes happen over the phone at (916) 659-6549. Say whether it’s one story or two, roughly how the front is laid out, and what you want lit. Photos help, so text or email a few if you can, or attach them on the contact page. Lead with whatever the association office said and we’ll take it from there.

After the holidays, January brings us back to take every strand down. You store nothing. If something goes dark before then, (916) 659-6549 is the number.

And the car still can’t sleep on the street. We can’t help with that one.

Has the Parkway at Folsom Owners Association published a rule on Christmas lights?

The Parkway at Folsom Owners Association doesn’t publish its decoration rule where we could read it, so we won’t quote dates. Ask the office on Willow Bend Road for the current rule and we’ll schedule the install and takedown to fit.

Will stake lights get in the way of the landscapers who maintain my front yard?

We set stakes tight against the walkway or driveway edge, clear of sprinkler heads and mower lines. It’s still smart to mention them to the association so the crew knows they’re there.

I’m in Rivage at the Parkway. Can you decorate a condo?

Possibly. Rivage has its own association, and building exteriors may fall under it. Check what it allows on your unit first, then call us with the answer.

Where does your truck park if there’s no overnight street parking?

We work during the day and leave when the job is finished, so overnight parking never comes up. If your street is tight, we use your driveway.