Canfield Christmas Light Display continues to grow
There's nothing like driving around and looking at Christmas lights to get you in the holiday spirit. Take a stroll down Fairview Avenue in Canfield and you'll see the Christmas spirit is beaming.
The Canfield Christmas Lights started in 2005 at Mike McAndrew's house. It's now up to 30+ houses.
"I originally started this when my parents died and needed an escape, something to do," McAndrew said. "What really happened was, I healed from that but my neighbors want to keep going with this."
Displays continue to get added daily. McAndrew just finished one frame of Old Man Winter, blowing wind that turns into falling snowflakes. It was hand built by McAndrew himself.
So far, there are 50 wireframe elements, pixel trees and spiral trees and some 60 snowflakes. The displays are synchronized to music at 107.7 and on display at houses on Fairview, Maple, Indian and Hood. It's a labor of love for McAndrew.
"Some days I love it, some days I hate it, it's a technical nightmare," McAndrew said. "What you see, you can't just plug everything together. Everything is an individual run of wire back to a control box. Everything is addressed and knows where each item is supposed to be, it's a nightmare."
Setup begins on Thanksgiving and he continues to add displays until New Years Day.
"What you see here on the street and every house, these are the neighbors that keep encouraging me to set up and keep going," McAndrew said.
It's become a Christmas tradition for thousands to drive up and down the streets each year and while McAndrew says it's a lot of work, he wants to keep it going for a few more years.
"I just had a granddaughter and so I think this will go for at least 5 more years," McAndrew said.
He has a contest going on his Facebook page "Canfield Christmas Lights LLC". Kids 12 and under can submit originial artwork of a display and if it gets the most votes, McAndrew will build it and turn into a real life display for 2022.
McAndrew also put out a list of what he calls the "Tour of Lights, 2021". It includes many great displays for you to check out. Here is the list:
Static Displays
Cole Family Winter Wonderland
4865 My Way Dr. Canfield
Johns Family Christmas Display
6818 Fairview Rd. Austintown
McCoys Christmas Land
292 Broad St. Struthers
McGrath Christmas Lights
4714 Canfield Rd. Canfield
Jacobs Christmas Wonderland
785 Wood Ave. Boardman
Ken and Diane Hodges
3393 East Calla Rd. Poland
Animated Displays
Worona Family House Display
6735 Sodom Hutchings Rd Girard 88.1 FM
Igo's Griswold Light Show
9093 12th St. North Benton 107.9 FM
Youngstown Christmas Lights
335 S. Bellavista Ave. Youngstown 102.5 FM
Dr. Musser's Winter Wonderland
3946 Montercale Dr. Canfield 107.7 FM
Ellsworth Holiday Lights
10827 Berlin Station Rd. Canfield 100.5 FM
Digman Family Christmas Lights
618 Columbia Ave. Newton Falls 88.9 FM
Christmas Lights on Oran Dr.
3033 Oran Dr. Youngstown 94.5 FM
Christmas Austintown
3810 Dunbar St. 89.5 FM
Sebo's Christmas Display
1790 Quaker Lane Salem
Pixel Display
Christmas at the Crossroads
251 Forest Hill Dr. Austintown 107.7 FM
Canfield Christmas
333 Fairview Ave. Canfield 107.7 FM