Hillwood Road Couple to Host Christmas Light Show

This Saturday, Dec. 10, Christmas will come alive at 1727 Hillwood road. Every half hour from 6 to 10 p.m. passersby will be able to watch a colorful 15-minute holiday light show choreographed to a variety of Christmas songs that can be heard at 107.9 FM on their car radios.

Charlie and Ren DeLutri love Christmas and when they moved to Lacey Township over a year ago, they decided they wanted to bring back the tradition of driving around looking at Christmas lights.

"I love Christmas lights and how they look," said Ren DeLutri. "No matter how bad things are, Christmas lights always cheer you up if you're feeling down."

Charlie DeLutri, along with his best friend Mark Caccavale, spent three days stringing more than 5,000 lights in the front and side yards of the one-story home. There are blow up snowmen, a Snoopy on his dog house, and a penguin with a hat. There are light up toy soldiers, presents, a nativity scene and a Rudolph with a blinking red nose.

DeLutri created the computer program, which has the lights flashing on and off in time to the music, including Frosty the Snowman, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Christmas Eve in Sarajevo and Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

"I'm a big kid," said DeLutri, who will don a Santa Claus costume to greet visitors to his yard starting Dec. 18. "I like making people laugh and feel young.  It brings people together."

The parents of 5-year-old Daniel have had holiday light shows before but nothing on this scale. And, they used to play the music through external speakers in their yard, much to the consternation of their neighbors. This year, they are broadcasting the music with a small band width radio.

In conjunction with the light show, they are asking those who stop by to bring non-perishable food stuff for a food drive benefitting the Lacey Food Bank. Ren DeLutri said just a few years ago when she was at home with her newborn son and her husband was between jobs, they needed that type of help.

"Things were tight and we had to go to a food bank," she said. "We still
don't have enough money to give so we are having a food collection. Now, we're giving back."

DeLutri said Christmas at her husband's home growing up was a big deal with the house fully decorated. For her, while Christmas was a bit tight, it was always made special. 

"We want people to come over and say, 'These people love Christmas,'" said Ren DeLutri. "We get a lot of joy out of it. It's colorful, kids love it, and we're collecting food for a good cause."

The Christmas light show is a follow-up to their Halloween display, which featured 60 tombstones, home-made skeletons and zombies and a light show with pumpkins and tombstones. But, the couple said this year is only the beginning.

"We have a lot more room and a lot more lights than in the past and we plan to get bigger each year," said DeLutri.