Lethbridge family taking Christmas lights to next level
COMPUTER SOFTWARE HELPS ELEVATE LIGHT SHOW AT GROVES’ HOUSE
There’s something about the twinkling of Christmas lights that can make a heart fill with warmth. And that’s what the Groves’ Christmas lights aim to do, with thousands of flickering bulbs.
For the past nine years, the Groves have delighted visitors with their unique animated display timed to music. This year they have set up about 13,000 lights and added new elements and software to their large display.
“With the new software, we can run the lights to their full potential,” said Scott Groves. “Just about every bulb in the display individually is talked to by the computer now. So we can run crazy patterns, colour-changing throughout the entire house, do sweeps up, right, left, down, run graphics...”
As part of the change, the family built a new 16-foot Christmas tree with the new lights.
“I’m still amazed we pulled it off. It’s amazing what the tree can do,” said Groves.
It’s a never-ending process of planning, researching, programming and set up for the display year after year, he explained. Even though this year’s display has just begun, they are already planning for 2018.
Their goal is to not only provide a place for families to enjoy their Christmas light tradition, but to also raise awareness about autism.
Groves' son was diagnosed at an early age with mild to moderate autism. One support group that really helped the family is the Chinook Autism Society, and the Groves were determined to give back to them.
“We’re really excited to support them this year,” said Groves. “We have a donation box and 100 per cent goes toward the Chinook Autism Society.”
To date they’ve raised over $8,000 for the Chinook Autism Society and the Lethbridge Association for Community Living.
The display has come a long way since much of it had to be rebuilt last year. In August 2016, the family experienced a major setback after Scott Groves' air compressor caught fire, which spread throughout their garage. As a result, parts of the computer and several boxes of lights, handmade displays and tools were damaged by the fire, smoke and water.
But thanks to generous donations from the community, the Groves were able to bounce back just in time for Christmas.
“After our garage fire the community really pulled together and got us up and running last year,” he said. “This year we’ve pretty much done everything on our own. This is basically our gift to the community this year and everything we raise goes back to the community.”
Close to 400 people arrived for this year’s official kickoff on Nov. 25. They closed off the street and gave away 550 free cups of hot chocolate.
Some who stopped by told the Groves they’ve been to the launch every single year since the very beginning.
“I think it’s just the Christmas spirit. It’s a big launch to the holidays and it’s becoming a family tradition now for families to go see the lights up at Galt Gardens, now the Nikka Yuko Garden lights up, and then hit the Groves Christmas lights,” he said. “And that’s really cool. That’s what we envisioned all along is to make our place a destination for families to come and just enjoy a free Christmas display and time with their families.”
Groves encourages the community to come out and enjoy, but also to “go the extra mile” and put up a few extra strings of Christmas lights this year.
“Try to light up Lethbridge and make it a brighter Christmas for everybody.”
The public is invited to take in the fun at 3822 Pine Crescent South (about three blocks west of 43 Street South). The display is synchronized to music broadcast over the radio station 106.1 FM. It will run nightly from 6-10 p.m. on Sunday to Thursday, and from 6-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, through to Jan. 1.
Groves kindly asks visitors to be courteous to their neighbours. It is a two-way street, he said, so please avoid driving into their neighbours’ driveways or turning around in the middle of the road.
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