Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412190026
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-16 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: SALLY HARRIS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
"Charlie Harris's Grand Illumination" wasn't his idea at all. His Summit Ridge Road neighbors, Patti and Rodd Hall and Janice and Steve Huppert, decided last year, while enjoying the Harrises' expansively lighted house with them, that they needed a neighborhood festivity to commemorate the event.
So this year the Halls and Hupperts printed up a flier inviting the neighbors to come Dec. 9 to witness the Harris-house illumination, go caroling, and share refreshments afterward at the Hall home across the street.
At 6 p.m. sharp, Steve Huppert showed up in a Santa hat, and about 25 neighborhood adults and children materialized in the growing darkness.
"People are coming in droves," Huppert said.
Charlie Harris, asked to give a speech, explained the symbolism of this year's light display. The star on the end of the house represents the Star of Bethlehem, and the cross of red lights represents the crucifixion and blood of Jesus. "And we have thousands of lights representing Jesus as the light of the world," he said.
Just how many lights are there? Well, the Harrises have no idea. "It's up in the thousands," Frances Harris said.
They've been adding lights for years, ever since they lived in the Huff Acres area for 13 years and then moved across Christiansburg's South Franklin Street to Summitridge Road 16 years ago. They've even added trees to accommodate additional lights. A walk in the completely decorated yard requires skirting or stepping over a maze of cords.
Charlie takes care of putting up the decorations, though he says he wouldn't do it without Frances' encouragement. He tries to have them up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Since it takes about 30 hours to install them, Charlie hires help. The Harrises turn the lights on about 5 p.m. each day, usually, and leave them on until 10:30 or 11 p.m.
On the "Grand Illumination" evening, so named by the Halls because they love the Williamsburg event, the neighbors sang a few verses of "Silent Night," and then Charlie started the approximately two-minute ritual of turning on all the lights. They have to be on different breakers or the Harrises have trouble using other electrical appliances.
"The central vacuum wouldn't work the other night because we had so many," Frances Harris said. "And the fan over the stove wouldn't work last Sunday."
But when someone said "Let there be lights" and Charlie had finished turning them all on, the neighbors cheered. "You can see that meter spin," someone said. "Apco loves you, Charlie," another called out in the growing darkness.
The night chosen for the Grand Illumination was cold, but the predicted rain did not spoil the fun. A half-moon peeked periodically through the clouds, partially illuminating the carolers as they headed around the neighborhood singing "Deck the Halls," "Jingle Bells" and other Christmas favorites.
Behind them, sending light skyward, the Harris house and shrubs were outlined in blue. The numerous trees had red, white, green and blue lights. On one big tree, a strand of lights reached upward along the tree branches and dropped to curl along the ground on the other end. The entire boundary of the lot was outlined in multicolored lights. The carolers passed many decorated houses, but none with the brilliance of the Harris residence.
Frances Harris had worried earlier that some people thought their expansive light display was tacky. "But we enjoy them," she said. If the merry crowd that went caroling is any indication, so do the neighbors.
The carolers included Suzie Jones of Blacksburg. "Since we couldn't make it to Williamsburg," she said, "we decided to come here for the 'grand illumination.'"
Sharon and Bob Turner were there. "I'm excited to be here," Sharon Turner said. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to praise the Lord in our neighborhood."
In the darkness, one after another, neighbors said, "This is fun," "This is great!" and "This is wonderful."
"I'm so proud to live in a neighborhood that so many people want to do this," another voice said. A few neighbors joined the procession as it made its way up and down the streets, singing under the comic leadership of Steve Huppert.
"When we heard Steve," one newcomer said, "we started to go back in the house."
Not far into the caroling trek, 4-year-old Brantley Hall was riding on the shoulders of his dad, Rodd. The group serenaded shut-ins, neighbors in bathrobes who changed and joined them for the rest of the festivities, and newcomers to the neighborhood, ending most visits with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."
Ten-year-old Stephanie Huppert was one of the youngsters who rang doorbells of some of those to be caroled. She and Anna Marie Ball, Jessica Jennings and Matt Ball enjoyed the new holiday venture. Anna Marie said she was having the most fun of her life.
After about an hour and a half of caroling, the group, which had grown to more than 35, made its way back to the Halls' home to share refreshments.
Is this the beginning of a new neighborhood tradition? "Absolutely," Patti Hall said.
by CNB