A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, although a little bad weather might. 

The annual Canterbury Christmas light competition holds a special place in the hearts of Carlsbad. Officials come together on Christmas Eve to take in the sight of the hard work put in by the residents in Canterbury and choose a winner for the year.

As showers have been pouring on Southern California for the last week, Christmas Eve was no exception. As the hour of the competition approached, due to the weather, the event organizers had to cancel the competition for the first time in history. Kaimana Coleman, a junior at Sage Creek, is used to the usual sunshine during Christmas time and was surprised by heavy rain. 

“My family was going to go to the lights competition for the first time, and I was a little upset that the atmospheric river ruined that,” said Coleman.

For residents and visitors alike, the highly anticipated lights competition is a staple in Carlsbad traditions. Spencer Rogow, a senior at Sage Creek High School, was looking forward to one last Christmas tradition before he goes off to college, turning what was supposed to be a bittersweet event to an unresolved goodbye. 

“The cancellation this year was a huge bummer. As a senior, it hit a little harder because it feels like one of those ‘last times’ things that you assume will always be there, and then suddenly it’s not,” said Rogow. 

The disappointment hit hard in the neighborhood, and according to officials, there was no news of it being postponed. As Christmas passed, the rain washed away the idea altogether.

“It just felt like a piece of December got removed,” Rogow said.

Although the rain cancelled the competition, the efforts of the residents of Canterbury did not go to waste.

“People still had a lot of decorations, which was fun to look at as we drove past it!” said neighborhood resident and junior Paige Lawrence. She said that despite the rain, she and her family still managed to see the bright side of things. 

Despite the setback the rain caused, Carlsbad continued to show its enthusiasm with members of the community still appreciating the beauty of the light displays. The annual tradition of the competition goes far beyond lights; it’s about brightening up the holiday season and bringing people together to celebrate this special time of year. 

Officials hope that next year’s holidays bring clearer skies, and the residents of Canterbury will continue to show up and show out like they always have.