When his mother-in-law gave him a stash of Christmas lights not long after he and his wife, Marie, married, James Smith wasn’t sure what he was going to do with all of them.
“There were boxes of decorations,” he said.
It seemed like so many when all they had was a small townhouse. A few years and a new house later, though, and those items barely dented the front yard.
“I had to buy more lights,” he said.
Now Smith has 65,000 lights plus multiple displays in his “Wacky Tacky Christmas Lights Show” at 1165 Oakton Trail in Evans.
Smith starts the process of getting the lights down in October. His kids also get into the decorating spirit, and it’s full steam ahead in November.
He flipped the switch on this year’s display after a gathering of friends visited Nov. 22.
In addition to the strands of lights, he has a 16-foot-tall inflatable Darth Vader plus other inflatable decorations. He’s also made items out of chicken wire include a snowman and some Christmas balls.
He has multiple mega trees include the 22-foot-tall main one which requires a winch to hoist it into place.
One of the special pieces in the display is the blow mold nativity scene.
“It’s a focal point,” he said.
The display is set to music and passersby can hear the music programmed for the lights at 88.1 on their radio.
Each year, a new musical score is created and new patterns for the lights, he said. His wife works on the music, and it takes many hours to make the playlist for the display. He’s already thinking ahead to next year and has downloaded a song for her to start working on.
Smith has built Santa’s sleigh, and people can get out of their cars to take photos inside the sleigh.
“It brings a lot of joy,” he said of the display.
Not too many of Smith’s neighbors decorate their yards, and he did have a couple of complaints the first year because of the traffic, he said. However, they do appreciate that he spreads his love of the holiday for a good cause.
He raises money for the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, where his wife is a nurse.
All of the money people donate goes to purchase new toys for hospitalized children.
The Smith’s Wacky Tacky Christmas Lights Show is on from 6 to 11 p.m. each night.
If you know of other Christmas lights displays in the area, please email features editor Charmain Z. Brackett at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
Know of other area light displays?
Send us the addresses for other wacky, tacky, crazy, over-the-top lights’ displays in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties. Features editor Charmain Z. Brackett plans to run a Christmas lights’ tour story Friday, Dec. 17. Email her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
