Remember driving around town with your parents to see all the Christmas decorations and lights on neighbors’ houses? And getting a glimpse of the lit-up Christmas tree through a window?

It is a sight that never gets old. And for the next few weeks you can drive around the Boothbay region and get a taste of that nostalgia. But be prepared for a sensory overload.

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Gardens Aglow event is sponsoring a contest. Last month, 52 people and businesses in the community responded to a call for entries in the Gardens Aglow Lighting Contest.

With Gardens Aglow at CMBG and the Boothbay Festival of Lights lighting up the towns of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor, bringing thousands of visitors to the area during a normally quiet time of year, CMBG thought a contest might inspire more people and businesses to decorate and light up their homes and yards to make the drive into Boothbay and the surrounding towns a light show in itself.

The contest was open to homes and businesses anywhere on the Boothbay peninsula with property that is visible from a public roadway. Participating towns include Edgecomb, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, East Boothbay and Southport.

CMBG Director of Marketing Kris Folsom said 52 locations are in the running. The contest is now closed, and a panel of judges from the community is selecting the winners, but the public is welcome to take a drive around to check out the light displays of the entrants and make their own judgement.

The displays can be seen anytime between 4 and 10 p.m. until Dec. 31. Contestants will be judged on originality, effective use of color, and overall impact when viewed from the nearest public roadway. Winners will be announced at a special community showing of Gardens Aglow on Wednesday, Dec. 7.  First place will receive $2,500 plus 15 tickets to Gardens Aglow 2016; second place, $1,000 plus 10 tickets; third place, $500 plus five tickets; and honorable mentions, five tickets.

According to Folsom, CMBG is providing the prizes to support the efforts of the community.

Read more about the lighting contest at http://www.mainegardens.org/calendar-events/gardens-aglow/contest-gardens-aglow/.

Light displays are at 660 and 870 Boothbay Road, Edgecomb; 798, 716, 655, 553, and 1038 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay; 301 Adams Pond Lane, Boothbay; 50 Sugar Maple Lane, Boothbay; 7, 15, 27, 31, 37, 350, 319, 200, 185 K, 150, 145, and 125 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor; 35 Howard Street, Boothbay Harbor; 80 and 60 McKown Street, Boothbay Harbor; 5 Boothbay House Hill, Boothbay Harbor; 870 Boothbay Road, Boothbay Harbor; 60 West Street, Boothbay Harbor; 77 and 40 Oak Street, Boothbay Harbor; 4, 55, and 65 Commercial Street, Boothbay Harbor; and 8 Wharf Street, Boothbay Harbor.

More displays are at 12 The Byway, Boothbay Harbor; 3 and 12 Bridge Street, Boothbay Harbor; 53C School Street, Boothbay Harbor; 11 Highland Park Road, Boothbay Harbor; 63 Kenneyfield Drive, Boothbay Harbor; 649 Back River Road, Boothbay; 8 Knickerbocker Road, Boothbay; 78 Kimballtown Road, Trevett; 27 Old Trevett Road, Boothbay; 20 and 552 Hendricks Hill Road, Southport; 117 and 250 Ocean Point Road, Boothbay Harbor; and 388 Ocean Point Road, East Boothbay.