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DellOsso holiday lights is a bright idea for fun
LIGHTS3-11-29-09
One of the 500 LED light displays that is part of the Lights on the Farm. - photo by HIME ROMERO

It was an annual tradition to pile into the car with my parents and drive around town looking at the ornate Christmas displays that people would assemble.

But thanks to vandals and thieves – some of whom have struck the homes of friends and neighbors that spent hours decorating for the season – there just doesn’t seem to be as many of those destinations as there once was.

That, however, doesn’t mean you have to forego the annual car ride with the family.

Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of the Dell’Osso family, “Lights on the Farm” now offers the chance to take a peaceful spin around what has become a holiday destination of its own through 500 different ornate, custom-made light displays while enjoying Christmas music piped through your car from a local radio feed.

For only $10 Sunday through Thursday (it is $12 on Friday and Saturday) you can pile the kids into the car and head out for a nice, cheery drive that takes roughly 20 minutes to complete – depending on the number of cars that are inching their way around the farm at the time.

And these aren’t your standard Christmas decorations.

The scenery – which starts off with a numbered countdown as you proceed forward – soon shifts to massive metal-framed cutouts that when illuminated portray everything from the traditional Christmas staples to fun cutaway scenes like Santas playing volleyball while the elves work in the shop nearby.

As the illuminated pathway proceeds – and the Christmas songs being broadcast nearby to accentuate the experience moves through your favorite holiday jams – you’re soon treated to customized decorations like a scarecrow that shoots a pumpkin out a blasting gun that looks just like the ones you get to play with during the Halloween season.

And while an illuminated scarecrow shooting a pumpkin is cool enough, the pumpkin actually shoots out of the barrel and flies through the night sky before disappearing on the ground – one of several motion-based lighting displays that spice up the traditional framework of illuminated bulbs surrounding an object.

The flying bird and the jumping leopard will also grab your attention, and watching a gingerbread man roll along as you hit the home stretch is a great way to wrap up what was easily one of the greatest ways to cap off a Monday that I’ve undertaken in some time.

Whether you’re looking for something fun to do with friends or something that will keep the kids entertained, “Lights on the Farm” makes for an affordable outing that preserves the tradition of enjoying Christmas lights with those who are close to you.

Don’t forget the hot chocolate.