Though it's not yet even Thanksgiving, I find myself already in the holiday spirit. Sure, like pretty much everyone else, I like to gripe about the onslaught of Christmas, which seems to come earlier every year. But I've decided to quit fighting it. After all, it is a pretty fun time of the year.
I have so many fond memories of the holiday season, from my youth, to my young adult days to the past few years. I think that's a big part of what Christmas is all about — making memories and remembering good times shared with family and friends.
One of my favorite childhood memories involves a small Iowa community known as Vinton. Now, Vinton, Iowa, isn't really too much to brag about. It's a small town of about 5,000 people located on Highway 218, about 20 miles from my hometown of Cedar Rapids. Yet every Christmas, my family would pack into the family station wagon for a trip to this little town.
The reason? Well, just north of Vinton was a farmer who apparently either had an overdose of the holiday spirit, or way too much time on his hands. Every year, he would decorate his property with thousands and thousands of Christmas lights. Every tree was full of lights, and the road along his land was lined with various Christmas displays. The displays included wooden and plastic figures, ranging from classic holiday icons like Santa, snowmen and elves, to the pop culture icons of the day like the Flintstones and the Smurfs. Some figures were animated — I remember a chimney — about 25 feet tall — where Santa would alternately appear out of the top and from the bottom. Some of the displays even played music, and I remember my sister and I hanging out the car window to hear it, though the temperature was probably in the teens or 20s.
Going to see the lights in Vinton was something my sister and I looked forward to doing every year. Some years, we would swing by on the way home from a trip to my grandparents. Other times, we would take a trip to Vinton for the sole purpose of seeing the lights. We would play holiday music in the car, and sing carols all the way.
The farm in Vinton was a popular spot, being regularly featured in area newspapers. One year, in fact, we waited more than an hour to drive past the lights, lining up with hundreds of other motorists. At the time, of course, that long wait was a pain in the rear. But looking back, it's a great story to tell — a great holiday memory.
And it was memories like these that made me happy a few years ago when Blytheville brought a spectacular holiday light display to the Arkansas Aeroplex as part of its Lights of the Delta. In the name of full disclosure, I should mention here that my wife, Jena, happens to be active with the current Lights of the Delta board. And for those who might view this column as nothing but a shameless attempt to get out of doing the dishes, you are wrong. The truth is, I've been a fan of the Lights of the Delta long before Jena got involved. (Though if this column does, in fact, get me out of doing the dishes; well, that's just gravy.)
The reason I'm a fan of Lights of the Delta is because it has helped me make memories for my own children. It's about more than seeing some pretty lights — although the lights are very pretty — it's about creating memories that will last a lifetime. Already, my kids have been talking about going to see the Lights. It's a ritual that they've come to know as part of the holiday season. During the recently completed soccer season, the kids got a kick out of seeing the frameworks for the displays as they were being put up at the Aeroplex. Eight-year-old Katie, is fact, has already begun lobbying for a stop at the concession stand for some hot chocolate when we make our trek through the display in a couple of weeks.
Visiting the Lights of the Delta is something Katie and her 5-year-old brother, Drew, will always remember. It will become a part of the fabric of their Christmas memories, just as trips to Vinton are a part of the fabric of the Christmas memories for me and my sister.
If you've never made a trip out to see the Lights of the Delta, make sure you do it this year. If you've been out before, make sure you do it again. Play some Christmas music along the way, and maybe even sing along with some carols. Stop at the concession stand midway through, and have a cup of hot chocolate and say hello to Santa Claus. You'll be glad you did, and you'll walk away with a great memory.
After all, making memories is what the holiday season is all about.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Okay, You don't have to do the dishes. J
We went in 2 cars last Friday night (nov 23rd) My daughter took off her seat belt to bounce from either side of the car to see the lights and had me take pictures this year so she could see them again. Like you said she was going LOOK there is the ones by the soccer field they were working on.
She's been every year even when shew was only 6 months and slept thru IT.
I happened upon your blog post while googling "vinton christmas lights". I echo the sentiments of your tradition. I, too, am from Cedar Rapids, and I have recently moved back (after 4 states in 2 years) to enjoy many traditions with family and friends. Not the least of which will be taking my three nieces this year to see the Vinton lights. Thank you for sharing the memory and allowing me to share mine.
The 'farmer' was actually a retired machinist, who worked at FMC in Cedar Rapids. Sadly, he and his wife have since died, but their daughter has continued the family tradition of the christmas lights display.
It is an enormous undertaking. Setup usually begins on Labor Day weekend and continues till the display opens, usually the day after Thanksgiving.
Thanks, Tehrasha. That's interesting information. It's good to see the mechanist's daughter has continued this wonderful tradition. That home supplied many of my fondest holiday memories.
Post a Comment