Despite working long hours 7 days a week in public health over the last 7 months, I have been able to get things together for our 2020 display. This will be the 40th consecutive year of our display at this home, so I just could not take a year off!
In addition to work this year the display has been a challenge, with multiple issues including a failed display controller (due to a direct short caused by an animal chewing through two 110 volt output cords) which required replacing components on its circuit board; a failure of Bruce the Spruce’s mouth motor movements which required a new solenoid; a number of failed LEDs strings requiring installing new rectifier diodes; a loss of the RDS data (this displays the name of the song and its artist being played on your car radio) requiring a new serial port on the show computer; along with a few other challenges.
At this point in time all of the failures have been corrected, and we have even finished our newest animated (another audioanimatronic) vignette!
The kids will enjoy this latest addition, and those of you growing up in the 80’s may be very familiar with the figures the vignette contains.
In addition to our new addition, we have brought back, for our 40th year, our very first musically synchronized display item – a 6 foot “tree” we designed back in 1984, following inspiration by attending a performance of the “Living Singing Christmas Tree” at the Chapel on North Forest. As a reminder that predated computers and the computer sequencing in use at many displays these days. The tree will be at the end of our drive. It will be hard to miss with all of its red, blue and green C7 LEDs!
Our display will be up and running starting the weekend after Thanksgiving, running 6 – 10pm daily through Christmas day, as always.
Given this is a drive in display, we wont be impacted by Covid-19, except for the very unfortunate fact there will be no walk-in family night where the kids get to meet Santa and the 3 North pole characters, and enjoy our special hot chocolate. That event will return in 2021!
We are once again collecting for the Boys and Girls club of Holland, which covers children in the Southtowns, so any cash donations placed into the red lockbox alongside the parking area would be appreciated. The box is fairly small and can only can accept cash/checks, no toys, etc.
We hope you enjoy this year’s 40th display, and if you are there in the early evening (6 – 7pm) you may get a chance to talk with Bruce our talking Spruce Tree, depending on my work schedule.
It is our hope this year’s display can bring some light in these relatively dark, challenging times for folks.
Greg & Diane