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Trinity Street’s annual Christmas lights festival may be gone, but festive displays remain a part of the East Van neighbourhood’s DNA.

Homeowners were up their ladders this week taking advantage of a rare break in the rain to festoon their trees, shrubs, windows and gutters with hundreds of coloured bulbs.

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“The block looks great when it’s all lit up,” said long-time resident Dennis Campardo. “It’s a great feeling and it really brings out the Christmas spirit.”

For 15 years the neighbourhood celebrated the season with a light display dedicated to two neighbours who were killed in their homes. Their efforts drew crowds in the thousands.

“We used to get busloads of people, a lot of people,” said Gary Upton, who was out in the afternoon sorting through 75 strings of coloured lights.

But eventually the traffic and the reluctance of looky-loos to contribute a few dollars for local charities began to outweigh the effort and the volunteer hours required to put on the display, said former organizer Cate Jones.