Run a neighborhood Christmas lights contest the block trusts
Neighborhood light contests often come down to whoever the HOA board likes, or whichever street the judges drove down that night. Photograph each entered house after dark, add the photos to a Rankd with the street name, and share the link in the neighborhood group, newsletter or email list. Residents rank every display from home, and families can drive the route first and rank after. The winner is the house most of the block ranked high.
- The Garcias on Maple: synced to music
- Elm Court: the giant inflatables
- Birch Lane: classic white lights
- Oak and 3rd: the light tunnel
- Cul-de-sac candy cane walkway
- The blue and white house on Pine
Free. Add your own options (these are just examples), then send one link to your group.
Why ranking beats a regular poll here
- Night photos let neighbors compare displays they only drove past once.
- Ranking every house keeps the vote from turning into a street-by-street turnout race.
- Residents rank privately, so nobody has to explain their pick to the people next door.
How it works
- Add the question and 3 to 30 options
- Send one private link to the group
- Everyone ranks privately, in about a minute
- You reveal the winner
Tips
- Ask houses to sign up first, so nobody ends up in the contest by surprise.
- Post a simple driving route next to the Rankd link so families can see every display in person.
- Take all the photos on the same night, after full dark, from the sidewalk.
- Set the reveal for a date before Christmas so the winner gets a week of bragging rights.
Questions
Can people outside the neighborhood vote?
Anyone with the link can rank, so share it where your neighbors already are, like the HOA email list or the neighborhood group chat, rather than on a public page.
Can people see how I ranked?
No. Each person’s order stays private. Everyone sees the group’s final order and where they personally landed, never anyone else’s individual ranking.
Is it free? Does everyone need the app?
Rankd is free and runs in the browser, so there is nothing to download. Friends open the link from any group chat (iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, email) and rank in about a minute.