Elaborate holiday light displays are making spirits bright in a big way

CONCORD, N.H. — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. “There’s not somebody that’s going to walk down the street and not feel included.” In Santa Clarita, California, residents of Wakefield Court decided to coordinate their holiday light displays as a way to bring some joy to their community after an earthquake. All the neighbors bond together.” In Edmond, Oklahoma, those looking to the western sky will easily spot the Miranda family’s elaborate holiday light display featuring images and music from the movie “Wicked.” Spotlights reminiscent of movie studio lights shoot up from the roof, while a singing witch’s face takes shape across a towering tree. “It just seemed like the perfect fit with a light show because you can really do the drama with the lights,” said Elisabeth Miranda, who handles the programming while her husband, Mark, tackles installation. Every single bulb has a spot, a place, a number, so that when we program it, it does exactly what it needs to do at the right time.” The family started putting up holiday lights in 2015 and saw a surge in traffic after being featured on ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight.” While most neighbors have been supportive, a few complaints prompted the couple to take a few years off before returning with a better plan to limit viewing hours and control traffic.