Penguin theme leads to 3-peat

Maybe it all started with the movie “The March of the Penguins.”

Or maybe the origins of Mary Raymond’s fascination with the arctic waddlers is a fulfillment of a childhood dream deferred.

Either way, the important thing is she’s having fun and her spectators admiring her annual Christmas display are wowed.

That much is certain now that Carl and Mary Raymond won the top Sweepstakes award in the annual Ring of Lights contest, which kicks off the Newport Beach Boat Parade. Many families who live along the parade route go to town each year decorating their homes as a lively backdrop to the promenading vessels.

The penguin proliferation at their home at 40 Linda Isle is the through-line for the couple’s three-peat.

“The first year when we shared the Sweepstakes award with the Olsons we had Santa in a hammock with palm trees with 250 penguins of all different sizes marching up across the house to try to wake up Santa for Christmas,” Mary Raymond said. “Last year, we won the Sweepstakes by ourselves, and since the theme was ‘Twas the Lights Before Christmas’ we had the penguins carrying lights, climbing up the ladder putting lights on the tree.”

“This year, since it’s the 100-year theme we have a big sign saying, ‘100 years of cheers,’ and all the penguins are cheering.”

So were the judges.

The Raymond house won the Sweepstakes because of its incredible color and detail that draws the eye even from far off, said Ring of Lights judge Duncan Forgey.

“It’s almost like a cartoon,” he said. “It almost sucks you in. There’s so much detail, over 300 penguins. She added a bunch of other figures and Christmas ornaments of that nature this year to the penguins that were so impressive last year…”

“When you’re across the bay, it absolutely sparkles.”

That’s not to say there aren’t other “wonderful” displays, Forgey said.

“Every year we’re not disappointed,” he said. “There are some truly phenomenal houses out there this year.”

Part of what leads to the impressive displays is a healthy spirit of competition, Forgey said.

“There’s a difference between those who decorate their houses and those who compete,” he said.