A popular Christmas tradition for families is to look at Christmas lights and decorations. The best kept not-so-secret Christmas light display in Celina is located off Preston Road on Redbud at the home of Eric and Melissa Becker. Many people around town just refer to it as the “house with all the lights on Redbud".
The Beckers have decorated their house since 2006 beginning with small and modest lights. It was a fun hobby that slowly grew over the years. Now, the display has over 1,000 pixels of lights and a 55-foot Christmas tree in the middle of the front yard.
The technology is what makes the display fun for Eric Becker. As the owner and founder of Automation Integration in Celina, Eric Becker plays with electronics all day for a living, so it was only natural for him to create a Christmas light display at home. He says because technology keeps changing and improving, so does his light show.
Besides the beauty, the main attraction of the display at the Becker house is the light show. The lights are synchronized to music for the ultimate entertainment. Furthermore, what makes the display even more unique is that visitors can pick the songs making each show unlike the last. Becker said that each year he adds songs to the list. Visitors watching the show can pick a song from a website posted on a sign in the yard. The music library varies from Country, Rock, Disney, and Christmas, of course. The Becker children particularly like it when someone picks a Disney song or a song from the movie, “The Trolls”.
Becker says the light show takes about two weeks to set up with the help of his two kids and neighbors. He says “it really does take an actual village to set up” as the big tree itself takes five to eight people to build, for example. When asked if Becker bribes the neighbors to help he jokes, “whatever it takes.”
And what do the neighbors think about “the house with the lights”? Becker says the neighbors don’t mind. It helps that they live on a one-acre lot where everyone is not on top of each other. He adds that because the people of Celina are respectful of the neighborhood, it will continue. It is not his desire to make the show cause traffic jams or disruptions. Each year Becker is contacted to participate in a light display reality television competition only to decline the offer to keep the display manageable to the community. “It would make it unenjoyable,” says Becker.
Despite that, the light show has a steady flow of onlookers. Becker does not charge admission but does request visitors bring canned foods which are donated to Grace Bridge. The display is so popular that Becker guesses last year they collected approximately 300-400 cans of food! It gives them such satisfaction to contribute back to the community by helping others in the spirit of Christmas.
In fact, that is why he does the light show display every year. He and his family love to bring joy to others during the holiday season. Becker realizes it really does bring families together with families looking forward to it every year. He recalls one family told him they literally change their kids’ bedtime routine to revolve around the Christmas light show. It is that reaction, Becker feels, that makes it all worth it.
The light display begins on Thanksgiving night and will continue until about January 1. If you visit the show, don’t forget your canned goods donation.
Automation Integration is your Low Voltage Specialist in Celina, Texas. Call Automation Integration for your security needs, landscape lighting, electrical, televisions, outdoor audio and access control.
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214.432.5981 or sales@automationintegration.net
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