Twenty-five years ago, Clark Griswold stood in his yard poised to plug in 25,000 imported, Italian twinkle lights that festooned his suburban home in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Well, move over Clark, because this year Tony Brighter of Conway will be turning on more than 60,000 lights that span six houses in his Conway neighborhood — all programmed to put on a light show synchronized to music and completely controlled by Brighter’s computer.
“I say it’s my second job,” laughs Brighter, whose first job is as a solutions architect for Acxiom, where he builds and maintains databases. He spends most of his free time during the year choosing music and programming his Christmas lights, which require 10 control boxes. ”
Brighter’s light tradition started in 2000 when he installed about 7,000 lights on his home. He says that sounds like a lot, but the bulb count adds up quickly just lighting the roofline and some bushes with mini-lights.
By following a few simple steps, and some tips from Brighter and professional light installers such as John Wilson, owner of Lights by Sparky (lightsbysparky.com), you can light up the night without breaking your back.
See Saturday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for tips and suggestions.