43
Canfield display is concert of lights
Photo
By ABBY SLANKER
Mike McAndrew is the holiday mastermind behind the Canfield Christmas Lights display, which started in November 2008, and has drawn people from all over the United States.
Canfield Christmas Lights is a computer-controlled light show synchronized to holiday music. The display features more than 60,000 lights and spans three homes. The all-LED light display features candy canes that are 8-feet tall and a 7-foot star that is hoisted 75 feet in the air.
“I saw the Miller Light commercial, just like everyone else back in 2005. I thought it was awesome, but never had a thought to actually do it. Later that year, I had to deal with my father’s passing, and soon after my mother’s death as well. Being shell-shocked from losing my parents rather close together and suddenly, browsing the Internet, my quest was born accidentally. Watching You Tube videos, led to Google searches, which led me to Light O Rama,” McAndrew said.
There were originally eight songs programmed when the light show started in 2008. The year 2010 has had a major overhaul of all songs and re-programming to accommodate the additional channels and lights. There are now more than 40 songs programmed and incorporated into the show.
The display has grown from a few hundred cars the first year, to nearly 11,000 cars this year. The display package (controllers and software) were bought in September 2008, and the show was up and running that Thanksgiving night.
“Starting with 64 channels and a handful of songs, it was quite complicated to start off. Programming songs wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Thinking in this new realm wasn’t as easy either. It takes nearly 9,000 feet of extension cord just to make my display happen.
“Buying lights took on a new challenge as well. I decided to go LED right from the start, which saves tremendously on the electric and has much better response to switching power/dimming and other effects. I am currently at 128 dedicated channels and 42 songs to pick from, with and additional 314 channels for the intelligent lighting.
“That’s a grand total of 442 channels for the third year of the display, with 60,000 LEDs. The show currently covers three houses, but will expand in the future. I would love to get the whole street involved,” McAndrew said.
The objective of Canfield Christmas Lights is to achieve a “rock” concert type of show that leaves the viewer with a dropped jaw feeling. That objective is best achieved during the songs being played such as “Wizards of Winter” by TSO, “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey, Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” and every Clark Griswold junkies’ favorite, “Christmas Vacation.”
According to McAndrew, Christmas never ends on a display like this.
“Planning has already started for the next year. I am adding an additional 128 dedicated channels, 12 more 8-foot candy canes, eight large 8-channel arches, and 24 color ribbons so I will be able to do scrolling text and animation with the display.
“I use the first part of the year to plan and prepare for what the second half of the year will bring. Programming and song selection starts in August and continues through to the end. Set-up starts in September and October as I try to have all of the elevated items in place.
“Once Halloween is over, it’s a mad rush to get the ground display done. I can’t set the ground items until Halloween is over. Cords don’t stop kids when they are after candy. For the most part, it is just myself with my wife helping. On occasion, I get neighbors to help out here and there,” McAndrew said.
McAndews would like to thank, first and foremost, the residents of Fairview Avenue, where he resides.
“They truly are the best neighbors anyone could hope for. Especially Gretchen with the “Ditto” sign in lights. Next year, I hope to get more houses involved for a much bigger show. I also have to thank DoCut True Value, a tremendous resource here in Canfield. They love when I come extension cord shopping and looking for M5 pinecone LED lights,” McAndrew said.
For more information or to see photos or videos of the 2010 light display, visit www.canfieldchristmaslights.com.