Fort Richmond home bringing holiday cheer

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This article was published 22/12/2021 (1055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Fort Richmond home is bringing holiday cheer to the community with an elaborate light display.

Darlene Smith and her husband go above and beyond each year to make their outdoor Christmas decor “bigger and better” than the previous season.

The front yard of their home, located at 7 Selwyn Pl., features 17 inflatables, 23 blow molds and one Christmas tree.

“We started with just a couple inflatables because they were bright and cheery, and then we added a few more until it got to be a treasure hunt of what we could find,” Smith said. “It just kept growing and growing.”

The couple’s dedication to the holiday spirit has delighted the neighbourhood for a decade.

“Last year, after everything was turned off for the night, I heard this horrible loud noise outside,” Smith said. “I looked out the window and there was about a dozen half-ton trucks all parked around the bay looking.

So, I said, ‘Just wait a minute’ and we turned everything back on for them.”

On Christmas Eve 2020, over 100 cars passed the home to check out the display and take pictures.

“With COVID happening, we decided we would go all out. It just seemed like a nice thing to do,” Smith said. “It was so great to see people have so much fun looking at the different blow molds and inflatables.”

Setting up the annual holiday display runs about a week. Smith and her husband take special care in choosing where to plug everything in so they don’t continuously blow the circuit.

Tear down is equally time consuming; decorations get boxed and marked based on what it is, where it’s going and how they placed it so they know for the following year. Smith also has separate bins for things that need repair.

The family’s efforts don’t go unrecognized. Their display was featured on Global News and was recognized as a “gold star” home in Transcona resident Carol Cassell’s annual holiday map.

“It’s a fun hobby for Christmas time,” Smith said. “It’s great to see so many people having a good time looking at the display and listening to the kids giggling. The windows are down in cars and people are waving and laughing.”

Smith is looking to improve the display next year by changing out some of the pieces and adding new inflatables.

The couple also has a friend who’s an electrician that’s going to help with adding more outdoor power outlets.

Some people have even left donations in their mailbox over the years, Smith said. They match the money and choose a charity, usually the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, CancerCare Manitoba, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba or Manitoba Mutts.

“Some people have also left us cards saying, ‘Thank you for doing this for the community’ or, ‘My kids really enjoyed it,” Smith added. “We’ve met a lot of really nice people by doing this.”

The display will be up until around Jan. 10. Smith turns on the lights at 5 p.m. each day and runs them until about 10 p.m.