How it began...

Our family home was nothing to write home about during the holidays. In fact, my parents never really decorated the outside of the house at all; a wreath on the door was just about it. They did, however, drive me around to see big light displays around the north shore each year without fail. These drives comprise some of what I consider to be my earliest and fondest memories.

 

It became apparent to me very early in life how impactful these displays could be. Incredible to look at, sometimes collecting donations for a great cause, and serving as cherished destinations for multiple generations of families at perhaps the most magical and nostalgic time of year. That is something I loved just as much as the extravagance of the lights and decorations - there is something in the air around Christmastime.

 

Now, I'm no psychologist and can't even begin to define what exactly that something is; but the mix of winter, Christmas, collective emotion, shared ritual and seasonal nostalgia briefly slows the world down. People are a bit softer with each other, sharing the same anticipation, and finding that childlike wonder isn't quite as hard for those few weeks. 

​

Anyway, the early years of the "display" were just me putting some lights on the gutters and railings and some inflatables on the front lawn. I slowly expanded it year after year, eventually making my way to the woodsy areas on either side of our driveway and inching closer towards the street. First, just wrapping a few tree trunks. Adding some wire frame deer. Some more inflatables. Some basic music integration with flashing lights to the beat. I then pitched the idea of renting a small boom lift to get a bit higher in the trees. Not sure how I managed to sell the idea to my dad, but it worked. Now I really had the attention of some passersby.

​

By 2018, and I had created enough of a spectacle that folks were regularly stopping in front of or walking onto the driveway to get a closer look. I welcomed it, and posted in town groups encouraging people to come in and push the button near our front door to request the music (little secret, I actually had to run and start it manually whenever that button was pushed. If you're an OG visitor, you know how far our show's technology has come since then!)

​

It's now 2026 and we're on season 9 since becoming an "open to the public" walkthrough display. To say it's grown is an understatement. Our property is around 1.5 acres, and the display now covers much of it. I expand a bit every year, somehow managing to find the time, and hope to do so until I can't anymore. I've always built these displays while juggling schoolwork from grade school up through college. I've now just completed my Master's degree in biology this past summer. Time flies!

​

It's seriously been an honor bringing this display to the local community over the years. It's not lost on me how much this means to so many folks who return year after year. It's sort of crazy having watched some go from children to teens and now adults over the years.

 

I'm often the one being thanked, but what I do would be meaningless without the enthusiasm and support from our incredible local community.

 

Thanks for being here.

​

- Colby

​