Light Up Your Holidays Marks 25 Years of Christmas Light Installation in Chicago With 467 Five-Star Reviews

Chicago, ILLINOIS, Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Light Up Your Holidays is entering its 25th season of Christmas decorating in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Founded in 2001 by Kelly Fitzsimmons, the woman-owned company holds 467 five-star reviews from homeowners and businesses across the Chicago area.

This season marks 25 years since Kelly Fitzsimmons started lighting up Chicagoland for the holidays.

The company says the difference between a display people remember and one they drive past has little to do with how much product goes on the house. It comes down to whether anyone planned it.

What 25 seasons teaches about the part nobody sees

Most of the work on a Christmas display happens before a single strand goes up, and the company points to electrical planning as the piece homeowners rarely consider.

A large exterior display draws from a limited number of outdoor outlets. Load that is not separated and distributed correctly across those circuits will trip a GFI, and Chicago snow and rain make that more likely, not less. Planning which runs feed from which outlet is the difference between a display that holds all season and one that goes dark on the coldest night of December.

The company’s crews are trained for work at height, including on 40-foot ladders, and the business is licensed and insured.

Designed versus decorated

The second difference is design. The company describes the common failure as a display with no cohesive plan: lights installed without symmetry, flow, or attention to the architectural features of the home. The result reads as underwhelming regardless of how much was spent.

A designed display works the other way around. It identifies what is worth highlighting on a particular house, commits to one direction, and often uses less rather than more. The point is to show off the home, not to cover it.

“We’ll take beautiful care of a client whether they call us in March or November, but time is the one thing I can’t manufacture. When you plan early, you get more creativity, more choice and, most importantly, more joy in the process. By November, Chicago weather, 40-foot ladders and closing installation windows become very real. Decorating a home beautifully and safely takes time, and I want our clients pulling into their driveway feeling proud and excited, not remembering how stressful it was to get there,” says Kelly Fitzsimmons, Founder, Light Up Your Holidays

The company reports that roughly 98 percent of its clients want their display finished by Thanksgiving. That concentrates an entire season of installation into a few weeks, and the week before Thanksgiving is consistently the tightest stretch of the year.

For homeowners who decide late, the company sets aside a limited number of installation dates each season specifically for last-minute requests. Booking earlier also means a longer stretch of the season to actually enjoy the display, which the company frames as the better return on the investment.

Clients receive a design concept built for their home, all product and equipment, installation by the company’s own crews, service through the season if anything needs attention, and complete takedown and storage afterward. Nothing is purchased or stored by the homeowner.

Consultations are held virtually. The design team visits the home two to three times across the installation and removal.

Light Up Your Holidays offers a complimentary 15-minute design consultation to review a home, explore what is possible, and share two to three concepts. Consultations can be booked at https://lightupyourholidays.com/design or by calling (312) 728-8499.

FAQ’s

When should you book Christmas lights in Chicago?

Earlier than most homeowners expect. Roughly 98 percent of Light Up Your Holidays clients want their display finished by Thanksgiving, which compresses the installation season into a few weeks. The week before Thanksgiving is the tightest stretch of the year. A limited number of dates are held each season for last-minute requests.

What is the difference between a designed Christmas display and a decorated one?

A designed display starts with a plan for the specific house: what architectural features are worth highlighting, where the eye should land, and how much is enough. A decorated one installs product without symmetry or flow. The second usually costs about the same and reads as underwhelming.

Do Christmas light companies take the lights down?

Light Up Your Holidays includes service through the season and complete removal and storage afterward. Product and equipment belong to the company, so the homeowner stores nothing.

Why do Christmas lights trip a breaker or GFI outlet?

Most often because the electrical load is not distributed correctly across the home’s outdoor circuits. Snow and rain increase the chance of a trip. Planning which runs feed from which outlet is part of the design work before installation begins.

Light Up Your Holidays kicks off its 25th holiday season serving homeowners across Chicagoland.

About Light Up Your Holidays

Founded in 2001, Light Up Your Holidays is a woman-owned holiday lighting design and installation company based in Chicago, Illinois. With more than 25 years of experience and over 467 five-star reviews, the company specializes in safe, elegant holiday displays for luxury homes, local businesses, and community nonprofits. Each installation is customized for beauty, durability, and care, with a commitment to protecting both property and peace of mind.

Press Inquiries

Kelly Fitzsimmons – Owner, Light Up Your Holidays
design [at] lightupyourholidays.com
312-728-8499
http://lightupyourholidays.com
Chicago, Illinois