Each year, one home on Collingwood Road is decked out for the holidays. But this year, there will be no Collingwood Lights.
According to homeowner and general contractor Bill Vaughan, who has set up the elaborate light display for the last 21 years, last year’s display took around 300 hours to set up. The display consists of 7.5 miles of electrical wire, 290,000 lights, and 900 pounds of cords. This year, he wasn't able to dedicate the time to set up the display.
“In years past I was blessed with the good fortune of being able to take off from work the entire month of November and work full time on the set up,” Vaughan explained in an email to Patch. “This year however, I have not been as fortunate, and I realized several months ago that I just wouldn't be able to make it happen. There will be no Collingwood Lights this year.”
Vaughan hopes Collingwood Lights will return next year.
“My hope, God willing, is to come back next year, bigger and brighter than ever,” Vaughan said.
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I have an update from Mr. Vaughan: "It is unbelievably flattering that my display could garner all the praise and offers of help that it has in the past few days unfortunately, the ship has sailed for this year. The work for set up would have had to start months ago with actually stringing lights and the lights are only a fraction of the labor involved. The largest part of the set up is com. related, the actual wiring of the lights to micro processors which once programed will direct the show. It is unbelievably tedious work that takes several weeks to complete, time that I just do not have this year. I am sorry for disappointing so many this year but, I can assure you, none we be more sad or disappointed than I."