There’s a lot of power in lights. Residents in a Clovis neighborhood prove that with their high-tech Christmas display. Not only does it bring out thousands of visitors, but it’s brought together a neighborhood.
Santa Claus Lane is located in the subdivision on the southeast corner of Gettysburg and Locan. What started as an ordinary holiday lights display has turned into what organizers believe is the largest synchronized neighborhood light show in the World. This year 39 homes on Norwich, Maine and Indianapolis Streets are taking part.
“Santa Claus Lane is a high-tech, synchronized light show,” said Deb Toews, founder of Santa Claus Lane. “The Christmas lights on all the participating homes dance in beat with music. Approximately 500,000 LED lights provide a spectacular show for people of all ages. We offer music for all ages and tastes.”
Randy Butler and his family live next door to the Toews’. They’ve been in the neighborhood since it was built in 2006 and in 2012 were the first to synch up their Christmas lights with the Toews’. In 2015, the whole block joined in and it has grown from there.
“It’s just a real good environment getting to know your neighbors,” Butler said. “It’s become a large family. You get to know the neighbors, not only to the side of you, but on the other streets.”
That’s something that doesn’t always happen in the busy lifestyle of 2019. Butler says Santa Claus Lane has turned the neighborhood into the type of yesteryear, where people watch out for each other when they’re on vacation and bring over casseroles when they’re sick.
“It makes it a real community,” he said.
Santa Claus Lane runs nightly from 6 p.m-10 p.m. through December 27th, rain or shine.
“You can walk or drive Santa Claus Lane,” Toews said. “Most people say the event is best when walking down the sidewalks of the neighborhood.”
Santa Claus Lane is pet-friendly and on Friday and Saturday nights food trucks sell a variety of treats.
If you are driving, visitors can tune their car radio to 98.5 FM and hear the music inside their cars.
“Santa Claus Lane is the only large Christmas light display that is high tech and uses a single computer to make all the lights dance to the music,” Toews said. “As far as we are aware of, Santa Claus Lane is the largest synchronized residential light show in the world!”
The show changes each year. Toews does the computer programming. In October setup begins. Twenty miles of extension cords was used this year.
“It’s amazing,” Butler said. “There’s really no other word for it. It’s the true spirit of Christmas.”
Somewhere around 6 thousand people showed up on opening night of Santa Claus Lane this year. Butler says he loves seeing visitor’s reactions. He says he’s seen a 4-year-old and an 84-year-old moved to tears. “It warms your heart, it really does,” he said.
Stephanie Cholakian of Fresno visited Santa Claus Lane with her husband and three young boys. She says they make it a point to come check out the display each year.
“My 5-year-old was amazed that they got all the lights to do the same thing at the same time and to his favorite songs,” Cholakian said. “And my twins were in awe, with jaws dropped and eyes wide the whole time.”
On Saturday, December 14th Santa Claus Lane will feature Red, White and Blue Christmas. The event honors law enforcement, firefighters and members of the military. Donations from that evening will benefit the Leon S. Peters Burn Center, San Joaquin Valley Veterans Organization and the Fresno Police Chaplaincy.
“We feel that not only do we bless our community with this event, but in turn receives blessings from them,” Toews said. “Hearing all the praises coming from our visitors and how this is their new family tradition warms our hearts and keeps us wanting to continue.”
To learn more about Santa Claus Lane visit SantaClausLaneClovis.com