When people pull up in their cars and see the house light up in sync with music, it feels like pure magic. Kids dance on the sidewalk, parents snap photos, and for a few minutes, everyone is caught up in the joy of the season.
What most people don’t see is the work that happens long before the first light turns on. For me, the holiday season actually starts the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving. That’s when the ladders come out, boxes of props get unpacked, and the build begins. By the time everything is in place six weekends later, more than 14,000 LED pixels are wired up and ready to perform.
These aren’t ordinary lights. They’re WS2811 pixels — each one can change colour independently. With the help of a free program called xLights, every note of a song can be turned into a chase, a sweep, or a burst of colour. It’s like creating a music video, except the stage is my house.
Over the years, I’ve added new props to keep things fresh: P5 – LED panels that display video effects, giant bulbs that appear to sing along, and even 3D-printed elements that give the display its own personality. I try to pick songs from every decade — from the 1950s all the way up to today — so there’s always something familiar, whether you’re 6 or 90.
Of course, not everything goes as planned. I’ve had kids trip over wires, lanterns shattered, and even one family try to walk right into the house because they thought the show continued indoors. (Thankfully, my dogs set them straight!) But for every one of those moments, there are hundreds more where people roll down their windows to say thanks, or neighbours drop off a ‘Thank-You card’ on a cold night.
This display also carries forward the spirit of Doug Musson — Burlington’s own “Clark Griswold.” Doug’s legendary show on Spruce Avenue inspired so many of us, and I’m proud to keep that tradition alive in my own way.
And at its heart, Rusty Griswold’s Light Display is about more than just lights. Each year, we shine a light on a local cause, and this year, we’re supporting Halton Women’s Place. It’s a reminder that the magic of the season is best when it’s shared.
If you’d like to hear me dive even deeper into the behind-the-scenes work — the tech, the creativity, and the chaos — I recorded a full podcast episode about it on Tech It From Me. The episode can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
But whether you listen or not, I hope when you visit the display this year, you feel the same joy I do when I see the lights come alive: families smiling, kids dancing, and a neighbourhood glowing with holiday spirit.