There are over 25,000 light bulbs in the display. Beginning in 2006 the lights were synchronized to Christmas songs using a personal computer.
We use a personal computer with software and hardware developed by a fellow Christmas-light enthusiast. The system runs 96 separate electrical circuits simultaneously to create a fantastic spectacular show!
It takes over two solid weeks of work to decorate the outside of the house. My youngest son (a hardworking teenager) and I start hanging lights on November 1st, working nights and weekends to install the decorations. Lights "go on" Thanksgiving Night at 5:00pm. Next years new decorations and repairs of the lights go on all year long. It's a hobby.
The decorations come from far and wide. Some are purchased at a few select stores in California; some are from Internet sites; some we have bought while on vacation travels in such places as Mexico, Aruba, and Hawaii. My wife and I attended the "Planet Christmas" Christmas Light Convention which is held during July in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. There were hundreds of new and different light displays in the vendor room, and, of course, we picked up a couple of new additions for this year's display.
Yes. The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce - Commodores Club who sponsors the Boat Parade has awarded us "Photographer's Choice"in 2006 and again in 2007, we received "Best Lights & Animation" - 2nd Place (2005), 1st Place (2004) and 2nd Place (2003). Also the Balboa Island Association which gives annual awards for Christmas decorations has recognized the house six times in prior years. Also, I was interviewed on a PBS television program during the holidays, and our house has been written up in our local newspaper. As a joke we also received from our friends, a gold, 16-inch replica "Oscar" statuette for "Best Lights".
In 2006 the Orange County Register Newspaper featured the home on the front page of the newspapers website showing a three minute video of the computer synchronized light show. In 2007 our house was the featured story on the front page of the Daily Pilot Newspaper.
The Christmas holiday is for giving and sharing, and this is a way to share happiness with thousands of people. When you see the happy faces of adults and children alike staring at the lights, and hear the appreciative remarks, it makes all of the hard work worth it. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction knowing that you make so many people happy, especially at Christmas. After all, everyone is young at heart at Christmas. Christmas has always been a big thing in my household with our five children! Besides, we firmly believe that the house with the most lights has Santa visit first.
Literally thousands of people see our decorations over the Christmas season, who walk, drive by in cars and view from the boats on the water. We are less than 100 feet from the bay and have good visibility from the boats and waterfront walkway. The interesting thing is how many people are from foreign countries. Since Newport Beach is a tourist destination and Balboa Island has a boardwalk all around the island, many people come to visit the area from all over the world and from every state in the U.S. We have talked with visitors from Australia, Canada, Europe, Russia, Iceland, Africa and even China! and many others. Christmas lights are a universal language and bring a smile to everyone's face.
I like to call my theme, "Walking in a Wired Wonderland". I like to use Christmas icons, i.e. Santa Claus, snowman, candy canes, etc, and especially if it is animated. Many of the motifs I rewire, so that the lights move or flash. That is what makes the display so eye-catching. I especially like items that are not routinely available in local stores so everything people see is new and unique.
About $1,000 over normal. Fortunately, not all the light bulbs are on at the same time with all the animation.
A few years ago we had six new circuits installed in the house by an electrician. We now have 120 Amps and twelve plugs of additional dedicated capacity for the lights.
It's great! We have a chance to not only talk and visit with our friends and fellow neighbors, but also all the visitors from all over the world who come here for a holiday or to visit their families for Christmas.
I like to use many different elements including Christmas motifs & icons, color, animation, artificial snow, arrangement and quantity of bulbs.
An off-island storage space. Fortunately, the decorations are very compact when boxed.