10 F  Making Arcadia bright This neighborhood duo wants to hang your Christmas lights By Lillian Finley | PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELAINA VERHOFF he faces behind the Arcadia- based company Everything Lights may be familiar to some. It’s the product of two young men: Riley Verhoff and Nic Cordovana, who started their light- hanging business as sophomores at Arcadia High in 2019. The pair offered to put Christmas lights on area houses for $40. They began without any light-hanging experience and learned on the job. “We had to teach ourselves. So now we’re to the point where we know how to do pretty much everything when it comes to lights,” Riley said. As a seasonal business, light-hanging may not have been the most conventional choice, but it served a need in the neighborhood. “They found their niche, and through word of mouth, it just seemed to take off and grow quickly,” said Riley’s mother, Elaina. As the duo grew up, so did their business. “We had about 60 customers then [in 2019],” Riley said, “and we’ve done it every year since. This past year, we had over 180 customers.” Riley and Nic are college students now, but they still make time to run Everything Lights – with no additional help. The company covers everything from the standard set of Christmas lights to “weddings, parties and permanent lighting jobs,” according to Riley. Many of Everything Lights’ customers are repeats, but the business has a quickly expanding customer base. The two report about 60 to 70 new customers each year – that growth soared during the pandemic. “A lot of new people hired us then,” Riley said. “That’s the year we took our biggest jump, when we were hanging lights for Christmas 2020. I feel like, since everyone was stuck at home, they focused more on bettering the look of their house, especially at Christmas time.” Outside of business pursuits, Riley and Nic are focused on their college careers. “I went to Arcadia all four years with Riley and played baseball all four years. I go to Paradise Valley Community right now, majoring in construction management,” Nic said. Riley is at Arizona State University, majoring in business. “It can be a struggle to run a business and be a student at the same time,” Riley said. “Last year, we would get out of school at 1 p.m., start work at 2 p.m., and go all the way to dark during the weekdays. And every weekend, we’d start at 7 a.m. and finish around 6 or 7 p.m.” Verhoff said. Both plan to keep Everything Lights running for the remainder of their college years. They have even discussed expanding while still at college and beyond. “Next year and the following years, we’d like to branch out and get a crew working under us so we can take on more jobs,” Nic said. “We want to expand and be as big as possible.” Learn more on Instagram @everythinglightsaz Since everyone was stuck at home, they focused more on bettering the look of their house, especially at Christmas time.” Nic Cordovana and Riley Verhoff started their light-hanging business as sophomores in 2019.

11 By Mallory Gleich O ne of the best parts of the holiday season is driving around to check out all the light displays in the Valley. Here are five home (and art) tours that may help keep the holidays merry and bright. 2022 Phoenix Home & Garden Home Tour tickets.phgmag.com Saturday, November 12, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Location announced on November 11 Tickets: $75-$105 During this self-guided tour, attendees can enjoy exclusive access to a select group of luxury homes in the Valley. The homes are selected by Phoenix Home & Garden’s editorial staff. Guests can meet the magazine’s staff, plus home designers and architects. A VIP option will also include extra homes to check out, plus a “refreshment-stop” and holiday keepsake. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona. n n n Camelback Studio Art Tour camelbackstudiotour.com Saturday, November 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, November 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tour varies; from 54th to 60th Streets, from Thomas to McDowell. Admission: free The Camelback Studio Tour and Art Sale showcases local artists demonstrating a wide variety of mediums for all to see. Guests can visit home art studios, meet the artists, and shop for one-of-a- kind art pieces – hello, Christmas shopping list, complete! This year’s artists include Laura Madden, Robert Snyder, Fiona Purdy and more. A printable map can be found online. n n n Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour hiddeninthehills.org Friday, Nov. 18-Sunday, Nov. 20 Friday, Nov. 25-Sunday, Nov. 27 Admission: free Sponsored by the Sonoran Arts League, the 26th annual Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour is a free, self-guided outing featuring 174 artists in 47 private studios throughout Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale. Attendees can find a map on the website. Maps and artist directories are available at the Sonoran Arts League Center for the Arts, 7100 E. Cave Creek Road. n n n Bisbee Home Tour bisbeewomensclub.com Friday, November 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, November 26, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets: $20 This tour is out of the area – but worth the drive. The 10th annual Bisbee Home Tour features ten dwellings in Historic Old Bisbee; some were built in the early 1900s, while others are more modern. This event will include a Chairs & More Auction held by the Bisbee Woman’s Club, where folks can shop and bid on unique chairs and other furniture. Tickets are not required to attend the auction. n n n F.Q. Story Home Tour fqstoryhometour.org Saturday, December 3, 6-9 p.m. Sunday, December 4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tour goes from 7th St. to 17th Ave. on Lynwood St. Tickets: $20 The 37th annual F.Q. Story Home Tour features homes on Lynwood St. On Saturday night, guests can enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, carolers, and sidewalk luminarias. On Sunday, along with the home tour, guests can enjoy shopping at the craft vendor village and food booths. There will be street trolley rides available Sunday, too! The F.Q. Story Home Tour is hosting its first in-person event since 2019. Home for the holidays In-person tours are back