One woman called it ‘The best kept secret in Oakdale.’ But based on the number of cars flowing through Atlas Court on a recent weekend evening, the secret is out.
Local residents Bob and Alicia Crossman, with help from their kids and assorted friends and neighbors, have a holiday light display not to be missed.
The main set up is at the Crossman home at 10213 Atlas Court; tune your FM radio dial to 91.1 and prepare to be impressed.
“This is year four,” Bob Crossman said of the elaborate display, which will run every evening this week through Christmas until 11 p.m.
“It starts at 5:30 p.m.,” Crossman added. “This year, there are three other homes connected with us (on the court) and the center circle has a 28-foot tree that’s included.”
Crossman said the light display is a joy to put on, though it is a painstaking process. However, he said, it provides just the ‘therapy’ he needs when coming home from work or a long soccer practice.
There are 28 songs that are part of the production and the entire cycle takes roughly an hour and 20 minutes to run through. This year, there are also bits and pieces from movies such as Elf and Christmas Vacation. A Santa Claus projected into the scene appears to be moving inside the Crossman house and has faked out more than one visitor to the location.
“We have a singing snowman, there are four singing holiday bulbs this year,” Crossman said.
About 60,000 lights in all make up the display, one of the most elaborate in the region. Crossman admitted to having a very high electricity bill this time of year.
The Crossman kids, Emilie, Jack and Peter, have helped over the years and Crossman also noted the assistance of his friend Scott Thompson and former neighbor Jeff Nunes.
“I got no help from Rhonda,” Crossman added of Jeff’s wife.
“It takes roughly 10 hours to do one minute of music,” he added of the painstaking process that pairs the lights with the music.
Setting up the holiday display starts the day after Halloween and takes roughly 70 hours total to get set up each season.
Crossman said he enjoys doing it and looks forward to seeing the cars drive in and enjoy the show.
Other notable decorated areas in Oakdale include a couple of homes on North First Avenue – at 530 and 558 North First; the neighborhood at Iris and Magnolia that has multiple homes decorated around their circular drive and a home along Valley Home Road, near Freelove, that is lit up like a beacon in the night, shining brightly so it can be seen a mile down the road.
