News : Blue Creek Christmas: Light display fills neighborhood north of Center Point

Blue Creek Christmas: 70,000 lights fill a street north of Center Point again this year.

At 7 p.m. Sunday, Joshua Meyer pushed a big green button, and the corner of Blue Creek Court and Fee Street a few miles north of Center Point lit up, filling an entire neighborhood with lights.

Blue Creek Christmas has begun.

Aaron Maue began the computerized light display, synchronized with music, in 2010. The display has grown in size and popularity since then.

With 70,000 lights, including two 14-feet-tall trees made with pixel lights that can turn any color, the display stretches from the Maue residence to every other house on the street. The display takes more than three miles of extension cord.

When Maue built the corner-lot house where he lives with his wife Debra and children Abby, Faith, Sydney and Gabe, he had Christmas on his mind. He made sure the electrician wired outlets into the soffits so he could easily install lights on the roof.

He says, however, that the Christmas display he and his family create each year is much larger than he imagined when the family first moved there.

On many nights, residents from throughout Iowa and beyond will line up to see the display. Traffic became so heavy last year that the Maues shortened the display for a few weeks. The full show lasts nearly a half-hour.

The songs include traditional holiday favorites, some humorous Christmas music and a tribute to veterans. This year's military tribute includes a song called "Camouflage and Christmas Lights," about a soldier celebrating yet another Christmas away from home.

"As with our prior service-men and -women tribute songs, we weren't sure how it was going to turn out." Maue says. "And, just like our prior songs, it might just be our favorite of the year."

The music can be heard by tuning the car radio to 97.1 FM.

Each year, the donations placed in a giant wooden Christmas stocking go toward a local organization. Last year, the Maues were able to donate $14,800 to the Center Point library project.

This year, ARC of East Central Iowa is the beneficiary. Josh Meyer is one of the people ARC serves.

"Thanks to Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and all the help from the Elves for making this a Night to Remember," says Josh's father, Robert. "It is an excellent show that I would suggest to all who enjoy Christmas lights. They even provided honor to our Veterans who serve through the holidays away from family and friends."

Directions: Blue Creek Christmas is located on Blue Creek Court, a few miles north of Center Point, or south of Walker, on Highway 920 (Center Point Road), on Fee Road. The lights are clearly visible from the two-lane highway at night. The display goes on at 5:30 p.m. and stays lit until 10 on weeknights and 11 on weekends (and until midnight on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). The display will remain throughout the first weekend in January.

See more about the technology of Blue Creek Christmas and its inspiration, HERE.

See the Blue Creek Christmas Facebook Page HERE.