For 26 years, Chris and Chris Swenson created an annual display of Christmas lights to delight their three children and wow their neighbors in Woodstock, Connecticut. 

It started small, just a few yard pieces and lights strung on the many strategically planted bushes and trees. It grew from one beloved, still used teddy bear, adding new ones each year to now over 250 pieces and counting. 

The extensive collection includes a full nativity scene, penguins, polar bears, Frosty, nearly the entire cast from Rudolph the Reindeer, numerous Disney & Pixar characters (Minnie, Mickey, Minions, Stitch, Bambi, etc.), a skating Peanuts gang, Cindy Lou Who & the Grinch, nutcrackers, elves, woodland creatures, and more than 25 dogs to keep the family pets Sophie & Riley company.. 

Generations of children in Woodstock grew up viewing the Swenson light display as part of their family holiday traditions. “It turned into a wonderful way to give back to the community – sharing a little Christmas magic and bringing people joy,” she says.

But when they moved to Jerusalem Road in Cohasset in November 2020, they weren't so sure how their tradition would be received. Would this new community with its traditional white lights

appreciate their over-the-top holiday spirit? 

“We were nervous. What if folks don’t like it?” Chris recalls.  When an older couple passing by seemed lukewarm about what they were doing, panic set in.

As the full display came to life that first year, “our fears were replaced with an open arms welcome from Cohasset friends and neighbors.” The drive and walk-by traffic to view the display was amazing, with many repeat visits. 

Like their experience in Woodstock, folks, especially those with children, change their drive home to include a view of the lights. 

“We’ve heard countless thank-you’s from passing cars and walkers alike, received numerous thank-you cards, our favorites being handmade by local children, and been the lucky recipients of gifts of cookies, candy and even a gingerbread house for which we are truly humbled,” Chris says.

(They do ask for visitors to view from the street, mostly for safety reasons -- there are a lot of extension cords throughout the yard.)

The decorating process actually starts in late summer/early fall with the search for new pieces to incorporate into the display. New purchases are assembled and tested along with the rest of the collection to ensure that everything is in working order. Repairs are made where possible and “sad retirements” are made when not. 

The yard display setup begins in November with help from their adult children and family members, especially their son who hangs all the roof line icicle lights. The figures are placed in groups by theme, adjusted annually to accommodate new additions. Extensive staking is needed to withstand the coastal winter winds and a complex matrix of extension cords are run to supply power for the lights which thankfully are now mostly LED.

In the off-season, the display pieces are carefully stashed away in a low-ceilinged section of the basement which provides the perfect storage location until the next year.

Now, heading into their fourth anniversary living in Cohasset, the couple is excited to usher in another holiday season with new pieces waiting in the wings to make their debut. “We hope our holiday light display is a place where you can go to forget the troubles of the day and even if only for a moment or two, just be surrounded by Christmas magic.  From our family to yours wishing you kindness and joy!”