The display is located in Denton County, Texas.

The exact location of the display is no longer made public. If you would like to see the display in person, please use the "Contact Don" link at the top of the page.

The lights are controlled by a product called Light-O-Rama, or "LOR." LOR is a hardware and software suite that allows you to tell each circuit when to turn on/off, fade, twinkle, etc.

2008 - 2011 Stats

A lot of lights and a lot of channels. I stopped keeping detailed statistics.

2007 Display Stats

Approx 35,000 lights
Over 140 channels of computer control.
16 songs in rotation
100+ amps when 'all on.'
Untold amount extension cords
Many long nights setting up.

2006 Display Stats

Approx 29,500 lights.
Over 100 channels of computer control.
12 Songs in rotation.
90.3 amps when 'all on.'
2592 ft (approx) of extension cords
Nearly 40 hours spent outside setting up.
Countless hours preparing all year.

2005 Display Statistics

Number of lights: Over 22,000
80 channels of computer control
11 songs in rotation
71.9 amps when 'all on.'
2280 ft (approz) of extension cords.
Hours to setup: 32.5 hours to install lights.
Many months of planning.

My 2004 display took nearly 13 hours to set up.

The 2005 display took over 35 hours to hang the lights, and connect all the cords.

The 2006 display took nearly 40 hours to hang lights and connect cords.

I have no idea how long it took to set up the 2007 display. I didn't write it down, and by the time I got around to editing this page, I forgot. However, in 2007 the setup was mostly done in the evening after work. 

In 2008 I stopped keeping track. Some years I get help, others I don't.

I started planning for the 2005 display in December of 2004. I purchased a lot of lights at the After Christmas sales that year. Buying them after the season will save you 50% – 66% over the regular retail price. I’ve spent many hours over the year programming the sequences, planning the power needs, buying equipment, etc. This is not something you decide to do in the middle of November!

Each year I try and add a few new songs to the display, usually programming them in August or September. If I've decided to add any new items to the display, this is usually the time when I start working on them. 

I use a small, very low power, FM transmitter to let my guests hear the music that goes with the show.

The mini-trees are made out of floral easels that you can purchase at Hobby Lobby.

Here is a great tutorial on how to build them for yourself!

The grid was created using mini-lights which were put down in lines. There were strands running north/south and east/west evenly spaced apart. Each yard is different, but mine was about 18 inches apart.

When hooked up to LOR, there were 4 channels going north/south, and 4 channels going east/west on each side. Thus if you were to light one channel, you would have more than one string of lights come on. This allows you to reduce the number of channels used on the grid, while still being able to create effects for the lights.

2002-2004 the electric bill has gone up each year as I’ve added more lights.

With the addition of computer control in 2005 the overall kilowatt usage was down. Yet with the rising cost of energy the actual dollar amount did not go down as much as was expected.

No.

Please donate to your local food bank, or other community outreach organization.