The variety is amazing on the Vineyard’s electric avenues of holiday decorations. Pack the family in the car and do some exploring in the dark of night; conveniently, that starts about 4:15 at this time of year.

Even energy-conscious architect Kate Warner confesses to a secret passion for outdoor lights and speculates that the original inspiration was not Christmas but perhaps just a way of cheering up the long, dark nights around the winter solstice. “It’s a great form of creative expression,” she said. “I try not to think about how much electricity is being used; I think it brings people joy.”

For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s comforting to know that the next electric bill won’t be as staggering as some of these must be.

We offer a brief down-Island tour of some of the many spectacular displays with a recommended focal point to help avoid over-bedazzlement. Energy guilt-reduction tip: with one exception, they are all on bus routes. We begin in Edgartown:

51 Chase Road, Edgartown

The children of brothers Glen and Kevin Searle are grown but, “I love doing this for everybody,” Kevin said. “This road is a pass-through and we get a lot of traffic.” Last year they only had one snowman but this year the display just kept growing. “People honk their horns as they go by, and some come to the door to say thank you,” he said. “One kid thought this was a store.” Kevin usually lights up from 3 to 9:30 p.m. but call in advance and he’ll turn them on earlier.

Best bet: A big penguin/Santa/snowman/tree that blinks and plays carols.

392 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, Edgartown

As you leave town and even at 45 miles per hour, it’s hard to miss the effusively lit yard of Joe and Maria Angelica DaSilva and their son Jerry, about a half-mile from the Triangle. Joe says, “My wife does all the decorating and it takes all day to set up.”

Best bet: Garden statuary of a young girl wearing a Santa hat — better seen in daylight from the bike path.

Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road at Teaberry Lane, Edgartown

Lights festoon the entire front yard here with icicles dripping from the roof of the house.

Best bet: Spirals of lights wrapped around the split-rail fence.

Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road at Pilgrim Road, Edgartown

Just in front of Pilgrim Road Auto Repair, the shrubs are draped in lights and inflatables dance across the lawn. Frank Gibson has been putting up lights at the house for 14 years. “It’s a good holiday,” he says, but he’s not putting up his Let It Snow sign this year. “Last time I did, it snowed.”

Best bet: An inflatable penguin and Santa bow and play Christmas carols.

Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road at Old Schoolhouse Village, Oak Bluffs

Donald and Jodi Ben David’s house is a year-round stage of holiday and seasonal displays. Donald makes most of the wooden figures himself.

Best bet: Santa and Mrs. Claus riding a motorcycle — Mrs. Claus is a babe.

148 County Road, Oak Bluffs

This is the Island’s body electric. Although the sign says “Santa’s Workshop, North Pole, MA 02557” it’s really woodworker Robert Gatchell’s phantasmagoria with a lighthouse, Santa’s workshop in glass display cases, a giant sleigh and a manger scene. Visitors can pull into the driveway but are encouraged to leave a donation for the Island Food Pantry in the drop-off box. Many nearby neighbors are decked out with enough lights to make the whole road a holiday boulevard.

Best bet: An igloo surrounded by penguins with a flickering fireplace inside that floats on a pond.

191 State Road next to John’s Fish Market, Vineyard Haven

The fish have packed it in for the season but multiple inflatable Santas have sprouted in their place. Santa waves from the porch, rides a fire engine and a train and toils in his workshop. Elsewhere the Toy Emporium houses a rotating nutcracker and a penguin spins inside the Candy Shop.

Best bets: Santa and his reindeer on a seesaw and toys riding a Ferris wheel.

36 Woodlawn avenue, Vineyard Haven

The Grace Episcopal rectory, home of the Rev. Robert Hensley and Michael Helgert, has an exuberant display of candy canes, penguins, an inflatable lighthouse and an angel who flutters her wings. Some of the decorations came with them when they moved from Washington, D.C., a few years ago. “Growing up in Iowa, my family used to drive around looking for decorated houses,” Mr. Helgert said. “This year I planned a candy cane-lined landing strip with an inflatable airplane but when I went to the store they only had helicopters. That doesn’t really work.” The lights come on around 4:30 p.m. and stay on until midnight.

Best bet: Wire polar bears covered in tinsel that nod their heads. One of them is on skis.

One caveat when you venture out — there is an unconfirmed rumor of wild turkeys attacking outdoor displays on Franklin street. Were you thinking of asking for a turkey fryer this Christmas? Given the dangers of pecking out electric lights, you might not need one.