Light Up Your Holidays Publishes Guide on Booking Christmas Light Installation Alongside Halloween Design in Chicago

Chicago design firm explains why more families are planning Halloween and Christmas lighting together, turning four months into one continuous season of memories

CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Light Up Your Holidays, a woman-owned holiday and architectural lighting design company serving Chicago and the North Shore since 2001, has published a guide for homeowners considering Christmas light installation who also want a coordinated Halloween design, encouraging families to plan both holidays in a single design conversation.

Kelly Fitzsimmons, CEO of Light Up Your Holidays for over 20 years

For busy parents, fall can disappear fast. School starts, sports start, work picks up, and Halloween comes and goes before anyone catches their breath. The house goes dark, and then everyone scrambles to get Christmas up. A growing number of families are deciding they don't want to do that anymore, choosing instead to decorate for both holidays and turn October through December into one continuous season.

"I tell parents all the time, your kids are only this age once," said Kelly Fitzsimmons, founder of Light Up Your Holidays. "Decorate for Halloween, surprise the heck out of them, then roll right into an elegant Christmas display. That's a pretty great four-month investment in family fun and special memories."

One Conversation, Two Holidays

Homeowners who book both holidays together receive two distinct Halloween concepts and two distinct Christmas concepts, each built around the architecture, scale, and personality of the home rather than a generic decorating package. The same designer carries what they learn about a family's home and taste from the first holiday into the second, producing a more cohesive result across the entire season.

"Halloween and Christmas are two completely different personalities, which is exactly why I love designing them together," Fitzsimmons said. "Halloween gets to be a little wild. Christmas is more refined, for most clients anyway."

Why Halloween Design Has Changed

A professionally designed Halloween installation looks nothing like a few plastic pumpkins on the lawn. It can be sophisticated and architectural, whimsical for younger kids, a little edgy for teenagers, and elegant enough for the adults hosting the block. The goal isn't to decorate the whole property. A designer identifies the few places on a home where lighting and design will have the most impact, creating something that feels much bigger than the investment.

The timing matters too. By October, Chicago gets dark early, and professional lighting adds visibility to walkways, steps, and entrances while keeping a home from disappearing into the darkness the moment the sun goes down. For families, a dramatic Halloween installation gives even phone-obsessed teenagers a reason to invite friends over, and turns a homecoming after school into a genuine surprise for younger kids.

"Parents are realizing the real investment isn't the decor, it's more months of memories with their kids and the entire block," Fitzsimmons said.

Booking Ahead

Families who plan both holidays early also tend to get better scheduling flexibility as the season fills. Design conversations are handled virtually, with no obligation to move forward, giving homeowners a chance to see what's possible for their own home before committing to a date.

Quick Answers

Can homeowners book Halloween and Christmas lighting installation together in Chicago?
Yes. Light Up Your Holidays offers a single design conversation that produces separate concepts for both holidays, allowing homeowners to schedule both installations in one visit.

How many design concepts are included when booking both holidays together?
Homeowners receive two distinct Halloween concepts and two distinct Christmas concepts, each built around the architecture and personality of the home.

About Light Up Your Holidays

Founded in 2001, Light Up Your Holidays is a woman-owned holiday and architectural lighting design company based in Chicago, serving residential and commercial clients across the city and the North Shore for over 25 years. With 467 five-star reviews across all platforms, the company has built a reputation Chicagoland homeowners trust season after season.

For over 20 years , we’ve been designing and installing Christmas and holiday lighting for Chicago-area families and businesses.

Press Inquiries

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