So, how do we do it?

37,000 lights total

    -  850 Old Fashion C7 bulbs

    -  2 large leaping arches with 1800 lights each

    -  4 small leaping arches with 800 lights each

    -  54 Candy Canes; 18 red, 18 green, 18 white

    -  13 foot mega tree with 3200 lights plus Star (coming soon)

    -  many more mini-lights

    -  128 individual light channels (powered by Light-O-Rama)

    -  And a whole lot of patience to program the lights!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to put the display up and take it down?
A: For 2008, it took 7 days to put up.  Typically, we start preparing during the Summer by testing lights, making repairs, or creating new ideas.  We warm up with a small Halloween display.  The weekend after Halloween, we start installing the Christmas lights.  It will typically takes 2 days to remove, organize and store.

Q: How does everything work?
A: I'm using a software and hardware platform called Light-O-Rama. It allows us to hook up all the lights to "channels" that can be dimmed, brighten, flickered, sparkled, or turned on or off. It is controlled by a computer that allows us to sequence the lights to the music.

Q: How did you get your own radio station? 
A: We use a ipod FM tuner, the Belkan Tunecast II.  It is modified with a new antenea so that we can broadcast our radio station on our street block only.  This is a legal, inexpensive process.

Q: How long does it take to sequence a song?
A: It takes anywhere from 10 to 20 hours sequencing each song.

Q: How much electrical cost does it take to run the display?
A: This is the most asked question.  Actually, we only see an increase of about $30-$45 for the season.  Sounds crazy?  Well, if you think about it, the lights are never all on at the same time for a long period of time.  Before I started sychronizing our lights, our Christmas Light bill was much higher.