Unique holiday show illuminates South Hadley

This holiday season, residents of South Hadley have received a special gift of their own: a captivating wonderland of lights, color, music, and entertainment. Residing at 19 West Summit, John Breen and his family have created a most noteworthy  and enchanting light show, combining the allure of alternating colors with the comfort of synchronized music at the touch of a button.

Just 12 years ago in Springfield, Breen began his spectacular light show in the hopes of simply being “different and making an impact.” There, his display was at its largest with around 40,000 lights.

Breen made the decision to switch to computerized lighting 7 years ago, and he became one of the first ten people in the country to use the method. “There was such a small group of us that when we ordered the parts, we were on a first name basis,” said Breen. All controllers needed in the process were built manually by Breen, and built only from the instruction offered by the internet. Although he encountered many initial problems, he has been able to learn from each with every holiday season.

Along with the brand new computerized lighting, Breen found himself attracted to the thought of giving viewers music to listen to as they sat in their cars. For many years prior he had used speakers in his yard to provide the tunes, but made the switch to an FM transmitter (station 89.5) 12 years ago. This enabled Breen to sync his light show to various songs (eight hours to sync one minute) on his own station, and even make special announcements.

Over the course of these years, Breen has accumulated around $10,000 worth of decorations, with every year costing him about $1,000 to change over and add lights. “I often look for after- Christmas bargains for the decorations,” said Breen. “I have even gotten 200 boxes of LED lights for one dollar each.” Because the light show is not a static display (does not stay constantly on), his electrical bill for it is luckily only $50. With there being no charge to see his house, all expenses are paid out of pocket.

The process of setting up the expansive display begins in September, when the support structures are assembled in their place. More decorations are added throughout October and November, with the goal of beginning the show the night of Thanksgiving. It takes Breen nearly five weeks to complete the arrangement, from the first light to the first show.

Following Thanksgiving, the show runs Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 to 9:30, and Saturdays and Sundays from 5:00 to 10:00. A full cycle of songs lasts about 12 to 15 minutes, and includes holiday favorites such as “Feliz Navidad” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.” His light show is also most well-known for “Christmas Eve in Sarajevo.”

Breen has also been recognized outside the town of South Hadley. In the past, he has been named the winner of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra contest for New England, and runner-up for the whole country.

Along with the music and lights, the Breen family is known to pass out candy canes to viewers. Also, Breen has collected donations for charities in the past, with a total sum of $15,000 collected in one year, given to Toys for Joys, a non-profit organization that gives gifts to children. “Not everyone gets to have a Christmas like us,” Breen said.

When asked about his favorite piece of decoration, he said “If I had to pick, I would say the talking and moving Santa in the window. It is definitely a big attraction.” Breen also pointed out that while “Illuminations” from the movie Fantasia is not a holiday song, it has received positive reviews.

The unique light show made by Breen has made waves throughout the town and done its part to foster holiday spirit and excitement. High school junior Jess Mekal-Foss visited the house after hearing about it at the Holyoke mall. “It’s good for the town! It gets everyone out and in the spirit,” she said. “I think everyone drove by it once or twice at least. People were even crossing the bridge from Holyoke to see it.” Elaine Paulin, a resident of South Hadley, said “it is a great way to bring together families. The joy and excitement that the kids experience is priceless.”

The light show will continue for years to come, given that there are no issues with either the surrounding neighbors or the town. In the future, Breen also plans to make the show “bigger and better” by adding decorations, as well as expanding to his driveway. For now, he says his motivation for maintaining the extensive display continues to lie in “all of the people who are happy to come and see his show.”