The Farmington Feed

Announcer: 00:01

This is the Farmington Feed, bringing you information from the city of Farmington.

Caryn: 00:05

Hi, and welcome back to the Farmington Feed. I'm Caryn Hojnicki, the city's communications specialist, and I'm hungry for another episode of the feed. I have two guests with me today. Today, we'll be talking a little bit about Farmington's Halloween Havoc Tour and the Holiday Lights Tour. One of our participants, Chad Johnston, is here along with recreation supervisor Emilee Shearer.

Caryn: 00:22

Hi, guys.

Chad: 00:23

How are doing?

Chad: 00:24

Good.

Caryn: 00:25

So welcome to the feed. Nothing like November to start talking about holiday lights. Right?

Emilee: 00:29

Of course.

Caryn: 00:29

You're allowed to start decorating.

Emilee: 00:31

Oh, yes.

Chad: 00:31

All year.

Emilee: 00:32

Yeah. Yeah.

Caryn: 00:33

So I guess my first question for you, Chad, is how long have you lived in Farmington?

Chad: 00:37

I've lived here for five years. We moved to Farmington in 2020.

Caryn: 00:41

And have you been doing the lights since then?

Chad: 00:43

Started in 2012.

Caryn: 00:45

Okay. So wherever you lived, you're decorating. So did you start decorating your house for Halloween and Christmas, or did it just start with one?

Chad: 00:53

Mostly just Christmas to start with. Did a few minor things for Halloween, but not a show until the Halloween Havoc Tour actually started. That was the first year I did Halloween.

Caryn: 01:03

Okay. Cool. So, Emilee, remind us, when did that one start?

Emilee: 01:06

So the Halloween Havoc Tour started in 2022, and then the Holiday Lights tour actually started in 2021. And the feedback was so great for the holiday lights tour, people wanted like, they were requesting to have the Halloween decorations out. So we were like, well, let's do a Halloween tour too.

Caryn: 01:26

So did you join both tours the first year they happened?

Chad: 01:29

I joined the holiday tour the first year it happened that just happened to be the first year that I was doing a show here as well.

Caryn: 01:36

So Yeah.

Chad: 01:37

It fit perfectly. Yeah. The I didn't do the Halloween one the first year, but I did it the second. Started doing that the second year.

Caryn: 01:43

Yeah. So tell me a little bit about your process. Like, how did you come up with your display? Does your family help? Like, what what's the

Chad: 01:50

Well, it basically, like, I'll start planning for next year probably in January. Wow.

Caryn: 01:57

Wow. I mean, really?

Chad: 01:59

Yeah.

Caryn: 01:59

That's

Chad: 01:59

Oh, yeah. Okay. So, basically, it's because there's a group in Minnesota for light show enthusiasts Oh. And everybody gets together and does a big group buy of lights, so you kinda have to know what your plans are for the year Oh. To be able to get in on that.

Caryn: 02:14

So you get a little discount when you do the

Emilee: 02:16

oh. That's actually really cool.

Caryn: 02:17

I had no idea. No idea that was

Chad: 02:19

Minnesota Light Show enthusiasts.

Caryn: 02:22

Okay. So it's like a group, and they, like, meet and chat about your light displays.

Chad: 02:26

Do a convention every year.

Caryn: 02:28

Wow. A convention?

Chad: 02:29

It's a it's a small convention.

Caryn: 02:30

I mean, but it's like that's kinda cool.

Emilee: 02:32

When's that convention happen?

Chad: 02:34

Usually, April and around Okay. Around Easter time, actually.

Caryn: 02:38

Okay. You said 2012 you started. Like, when what was the, like, spurring event? Like, oh, I'm gonna do this.

Chad: 02:44

I've always liked Christmas lights from when I was a little kid driving around with my family to go see them, some of my favorite memories of the holidays. So when I had my own house, it was I'm gonna decorate it as much as I can. Even before that, my younger brother and I had started decorating our family house. Love it. And it was just super fun to watch people drive by slow down, watch for a while, just to see just static lights

Caryn: 03:12

Mhmm.

Chad: 03:13

And drive on. It was like, hey, we're part of their memories now. Yeah. So when I had my own house, I decorated that and found out the neighbor across the street did a light show.

Caryn: 03:22

Okay.

Chad: 03:23

And I was like, that has to be way too difficult. And he showed me what was needed and how to use the software and then I was like, well, I'm gonna do this myself too then.

Caryn: 03:33

That's awesome. So you'll do it by yourself. No one helps you.

Chad: 03:36

No. I mean, I'll have my adult kids come over and help put up some of the heavier Okay. Bigger things, or I have super awesome neighbors that will come over and help with, hey, I'm gonna put this big tree up, and if you can just hold this for me while I do that, and they're like, oh, yeah. Anytime you need help, we'll be right over. Yeah.

Chad: 03:58

Perfect. Live in the best community.

Caryn: 04:01

Yeah. That's awesome. So it's like a it's actual community effort.

Emilee: 04:04

Yep.

Caryn: 04:05

So you said you mentioned software, like so you have to learn how to do this software so then the music time's right because you have the flashing

Chad: 04:12

Yep. Yep. So there's a a program called Lighterama that I use. Another one that a lot of people use is called X Lights. If you think of it like a big spreadsheet and the time of the song goes from left to right and you plunk in for your different decorations what you want to have that thing happen or doing Yeah.

Chad: 04:31

At that point in the song. So it's it's not as hard as you would think.

Caryn: 04:35

Okay.

Caryn: 04:36

It's Sounds hard.

Emilee: 04:37

Still sounds hard.

Chad: 04:39

It's time consuming, but Yeah.

Caryn: 04:41

Okay. So based on a radio station. Correct. Right? So, like, how do you know what songs they're gonna play?

Chad: 04:47

Because it's my radio station. Oh. So I have a an FM transmitter that transmits the music from my computer out to cars.

Caryn: 04:55

That makes sense now.

Chad: 04:56

All the songs I choose.

Caryn: 04:57

So you pick the songs and you have to set up the song with the light thing and okay. Okay. Wow. That does take a lot of time.

Chad: 05:05

Yeah. It's it's a year round hobby.

Emilee: 05:08

So if someone else in, for example, Farmington wanted to do the same exact thing, they would just have a different radio station.

Chad: 05:16

Yeah. Or, you know, it's not it's not a huge broadcast area. So there's people on the holiday tour that have the same radio station I use. Oh. They're just using their own transmitter to transmit because mine wouldn't go that far.

Emilee: 05:28

Oh,

Caryn: 05:29

that makes sense. Yeah. That totally makes sense. Okay. So I know you're one of the few that do that. I mean, how do you even know, Emilee, how many are doing this, like, this music light thing?

Emilee: 05:40

I know of a cul de sac that also does

Chad: 05:44

The 12 homes of Christmas.

Emilee: 05:45

Yes. That also does the music.

Caryn: 05:48

And what what's the name of that street?

Emilee: 05:50

198th Court West.

Caryn: 05:52

Okay.

Emilee: 05:53

So it's a cul de sac and then, like, a couple houses right outside that cul de sac that

Caryn: 05:57

And they do that too. Okay. Yeah.

Chad: 05:59

They actually asked me how I do it, so I ran them through everything.

Caryn: 06:02

Oh.

Emilee: 06:02

And I love that.

Chad: 06:03

They went from there.

Caryn: 06:04

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Chad: 06:06

Once you have a song done, if you make a lot of changes and you're just moving things around, a lot of times you can use that song for years to come. So I'll add a few songs throughout the year, and it's more you hear something, it's like, oh, that's a good one to do next year. That's a good one to do next year. And then, it's more as I'm vegging on the chair in the evening with the laptop in the lap going, alright, I'll do a little bit now. Alright, I'm fed up with that.

Chad: 06:33

I've heard that song.

Emilee: 06:34

Yeah. Yeah.

Caryn: 06:34

You have to hear over and over again.

Chad: 06:37

So, try to have that done before spring and summer hits, because that's when I start building stuff if I have to make new props or wiring things and

Caryn: 06:46

Okay. You change the light colors for Halloween versus Yes. The holiday tour. Do you have to change bulbs or does that the the type of bulb you buy Yeah.

Chad: 06:54

The the lights I have are RGB, so they can be whatever color I want whenever I want them to be that color.

Caryn: 07:01

So I was gonna say, you have to change all those bulbs Well,

Emilee: 07:03

and I also know that, like, there are, like, one of your Christmas songs has white, red, and green colors, and then another Oh, yeah. Song has rainbow colors.

Chad: 07:12

Oh, yeah.

Caryn: 07:13

Oh, okay. So you just you're also telling the software what to do with the lights.

Chad: 07:17

Yes. Lights, colors

Caryn: 07:18

Okay.

Chad: 07:19

Timing

Caryn: 07:20

Okay.

Chad: 07:20

All of it.

Caryn: 07:21

Wow.

Chad: 07:22

You know, one thing that we have that I don't think many others have is we get a direct feed from Santa's Village in the North Pole.

Caryn: 07:30

Oh.

Chad: 07:30

So, during the show, every five songs or so, we'll have a news break where the North Pole news comes in and gives us the updates on everything happening up in Santa's Village, what the weather's like, any funny stories of things that have gone on over the last week, and there's a a new episode every week, and then on Christmas Eve, we get to track and see what Santa's doing on his journey through the world.

Caryn: 07:58

And you said this happens in between songs?

Chad: 08:00

Yep. Yep. So usually it runs five songs or so, and then you'll have a break that comes in with the North Pole news, and I also post those clips on YouTube and Facebook and stuff like that too.

Caryn: 08:13

So Oh, yeah.

Chad: 08:14

If people aren't out there every single week, they can keep along with what the news articles are and stuff.

Caryn: 08:19

Oh, for sure. And then so that's even more reason to stay a little bit longer Yes.

Chad: 08:24

Yeah.

Caryn: 08:24

To get the news update. Alright.

Caryn: 08:26

So how long does it take you to actually set up the stuff outside and or take down? Like, how long does that take?

Chad: 08:33

I usually take the September, early October that week off to set everything up for Halloween, and then I take the first week of November off for changing everything over from Halloween to Christmas.

Caryn: 08:46

Okay.

Chad: 08:47

Tear down is a lot faster, like the Halloween stuff that comes down, I'll have that torn down in probably a day. Yeah. For Christmas, by the time the season's over, usually everything's under ice and snow, so it's Yeah. There till the spring.

Emilee: 09:01

Makes sense.

Chad: 09:02

Yeah. And then I then I take things down as snow melts and I can get it out of the ground.

Caryn: 09:08

Yeah. That's the that's the one thing I I really forget about. I'm from Michigan, so but the southern part of the Lower Peninsula, we didn't get as much snow, And it would whenever we got snow, melt like the the enormity of snow here, which we haven't had as much the last two years. But that first year I moved here, I was like

Emilee: 09:25

You're like, what is this?

Caryn: 09:26

It's not going away. Like, yeah, you're not going to take it down. Yeah. You're not gonna take that stuff down when there's that much snow out there. You're just gonna leave it.

Chad: 09:34

Mhmm.

Caryn: 09:34

Yeah. Oh my gosh. So Chad, tell us what makes your display so special?

Chad: 09:40

You know, I think everybody's display is an extension of what they like and who they are. I love all different aspects of Christmas lighting, from the classical White House that just looks magical and peaceful, to somebody that has 40,000 inflatables in their yard. I I love it all. What I think makes mine is it's the music I like. I've got a lot of old Christmas songs.

Chad: 10:08

I've got some new stuff.

Caryn: 10:10

Mhmm.

Chad: 10:10

It's a mix of what I enjoy and hope others enjoy.

Caryn: 10:14

Yeah.

Chad: 10:15

And the the best part for me is if I'm sitting in my chair watching TV or something and because I can't see the light show going outside. Right. And all of a sudden, I hear some kid cheering from their car or whatever. I'm like, yes. That's what it's all about.

Chad: 10:31

That's what it's for is other people's memories, other people's joy, and if I can turn somebody's frown upside down because they were having a tough day and they enjoy it, That's what I like out about it. That's what I get out of it.

Caryn: 10:44

Yeah. And you don't always see or hear that, joy, but you know what's happening. Right? I mean, I took my kids around a couple times, and we get our little hot chocolate and get our PJs on and get all warm and cozy in the car. And it's kinda cool to go to ones that are like yours because you you you sit there for a little bit.

Emilee: 11:01

You could sit there for many songs.

Caryn: 11:02

Yeah.

Chad: 11:03

Oh, yeah.

Caryn: 11:03

And you can sing along with the songs too in the car, and that makes it fun as well. Right?

Chad: 11:07

For Halloween, it's kinda fun because the kids come up to your house, and they get candy

Caryn: 11:12

and Yeah.

Chad: 11:12

There were a couple ghostbusters, and they happen to be going back down the driveway as the song ghostbusters starts.

Caryn: 11:18

That's awesome.

Chad: 11:19

And then they're standing out front dancing to the ghostbusters song, who you gonna call and shouting and stuff. I'm like, that's awesome.

Caryn: 11:25

Yes.

Emilee: 11:25

So you probably get a little bit more feedback on Halloween nights. Yeah.

Caryn: 11:31

Yeah. Yeah. Because that's going and their trigger training and everything. So, Emilee, can you remind our listeners a little bit about where they can find tour information, if they can still register when they want to know where the houses are and all that good stuff?

Emilee: 11:42

Yeah so you can still register through November 17. You can find the link to register, on our Facebook page as well as Instagram and on the website. You can either go under latest news or you can go to, Farmingtonmn.gov/LightsTour. Lights with a plural s Mhmm. Tour.

Caryn: 12:05

Mhmm.

Caryn: 12:07

And when the list does come out, I know we changed a little bit recently, like, with the Havoc tour not making a picture image of all the street addresses. I mean, there's two reasons for that. One is there's just so many.

Caryn: 12:20

Yes. And the graphic was crazy.

Emilee: 12:22

The house addresses would be so small.

Caryn: 12:26

Yeah. And and and for accessibility reasons as well, it's just easier if they can go to that fabulous map that our GIS girl Dani made. Right? Like Yes. It gets what's on there?

Caryn: 12:36

I forget.

Emilee: 12:37

So usually, it always includes obviously the addresses, and then it'll include notes. We did include the notes on the graphic, but again, there was a lot of information on that one graphic. And so it was just very crowded. But, so under each house address, if there's a note, like, tune to a certain radio station

Caryn: 12:55

For sure.

Emilee: 12:56

Like Chad or the cul de sac that I'd mentioned on 198th Court West, or if they're collecting nonperishable food items, or I know the cul de sac is also collecting for toys for town. So they'll have a bin outside.

Caryn: 13:10

Oh, yeah. For sure.

Emilee: 13:11

So the notes will be there of

Caryn: 13:13

And there's a map. And you can see the map.

Emilee: 13:15

Of what everybody is doing or collecting or I know there's another house that has something about, like, some someone singing to songs. I can't remember exactly. But

Caryn: 13:25

yeah. Lots of fun little things. Yes. And I know one of them was passing out candy canes or something last year.

Emilee: 13:31

Oh.

Chad: 13:31

I think the 12 homes of Christmas did candy cane.

Caryn: 13:33

That's really that's what it was. Yeah. And

Chad: 13:35

the the other cool part about the map is you can see what's near you.

Caryn: 13:39

For sure.

Chad: 13:40

If you

Caryn: 13:40

don't have all night to just drive around the whole town. Right?

Chad: 13:43

Being that I'm not I haven't been here for four hundred years or anything, I don't know where all the addresses are. So for me to look up each one, I have no idea if I'm going from one end of town to for the other, and the map is so cool to, you know, okay. I'm gonna hit this one, then that one, then that one, then that one. And then the next night, I'm gonna go hit these other ones.

Caryn: 13:59

Yeah. You can break it up too.

Chad: 14:01

Yeah. Exactly.

Emilee: 14:01

And there's literal lines connecting

Chad: 14:03

Yep.

Emilee: 14:04

Like, what the best route.

Caryn: 14:05

Yeah. Be on the lookout for that. We still need people to sign up. How many you have right now for holiday lights?

Emilee: 14:11

14.

Caryn: 14:11

So we can do better than that Farmington

Emilee: 14:12

I know. I know.

Emilee: 14:14

Especially because we had 33 houses for the Halloween.

Caryn: 14:17

33. Was that a that was the most ever

Emilee: 14:19

That was the the record breaking year. Yeah. Or record breaking season.

Chad: 14:23

So far.

Caryn: 14:24

Yeah. So far. So far. Okay, Chad. So listeners and Emilee really wanna know

Emilee: 14:29

Yes.

Caryn: 14:29

How many lights total are on your display?

Chad: 14:32

So I don't count for Halloween, but for for Christmas, it's between 15,000 and 16,000 lights.

Emilee: 14:39

Wow. Wow.

Caryn: 14:40

And this has been a culmination over years that you've been buying them and all that. I mean, because it's probably not cheap.

Chad: 14:47

I wish it was. Yeah. Right.

Caryn: 14:48

Right. I'm sure you

Emilee: 14:49

have to retire some things too.

Chad: 14:50

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Things change all the time. Yep. I've got a garage and basement full of stuff I don't use anymore.

Caryn: 14:57

Well, and those things that you don't use that anymore that are broken, they we have a holiday lights recycling collection too. Exactly. And that starts, I think, the same time the tour registration ends. I wanna say November 17. Yeah.

Caryn: 15:10

They'll have the bins, and you probably utilize those.

Chad: 15:13

I do.

Emilee: 15:14

Oh, I forgot to mention. The map will be released on December 1.

Caryn: 15:19

Oh, yep. Because that's the first day the houses will be ready. Right? Yes. Okay.

Caryn: 15:22

One more question, Chad. Your electricity bill, like, does it get ridiculous?

Chad: 15:27

Surprisingly not.

Caryn: 15:28

Okay.

Chad: 15:29

Because all of the lights are LED. And if you think about it, they're not on all at the same time. So they come on and off. So it's, you know, I think I calculated one year for Halloween, it cost me $7. Wow.

Chad: 15:42

And I think it was 20 or 30 for the whole Christmas season.

Caryn: 15:45

No. That's not bad. I mean, that's yeah. I mean

Emilee: 15:48

And, you don't have them on noon on Christmas or noon on not like throughout the whole holidays. You know? That's not

Chad: 15:54

No. No. And I don't run them at 100% brightness

Caryn: 15:58

Okay.

Chad: 15:58

Ever.

Caryn: 15:59

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The one shot And

Emilee: 16:00

I'm sure the neighbors would say that. Neighbors would appreciate it.

Caryn: 16:02

Be mad about that. Okay. Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Chad and Emilee. And listeners, make sure you go out to see Chad's light display. What's your address for the listeners?

Chad: 16:12

609 Park Drive.

Caryn: 16:14

Okay. And that's the fun one with the radio station and the lights.

Emilee: 16:18

Yes.

Caryn: 16:19

So all the other holiday lights tour, houses will be ready to go December 1 and get out there and enjoy these holiday lights. And don't forget that the holiday lights collection does start on November 17. So if you find any broken ones, you can drop that stuff off. Or at the end of the season, when you take them take them down, we we still have that pickup available through Saturday, January 31, and it'll be at City Hall, Farmington Liquors, the Rambling River Center. Just a couple other, recreational reminders.

Caryn: 16:47

Trains and Treats is coming up on Saturday, November 29 with trains from nine to noon, and Santa will be arriving around 10:30. So it's free to enter that event, but $5 to do the Twinkie train craft. And then our favorite Secret Holiday Shop will be Saturday, December 6 from nine to noon, and it's back at the Rambling River Center. So kids can shop and wrap without their parents, and they'll have help from volunteers. Gifts can range from 2 to $17.

Caryn: 17:13

And then speaking of lights, the second annual holiday lighted parade will be that same day, Saturday, December 6 at 7PM in downtown Farmington. So check out that as well.

Emilee: 17:22

And there will be a whole day of events that day in general. all over Farmington. Yeah. Yeah. Yep.

Emilee: 17:28

There's gonna be a carnival at Homestead Church, and

Caryn: 17:32

it's just Treelighting.

Emilee: 17:33

And It's just gonna be a fun festive day. Yeah.

Caryn: 17:36

So this concludes this month's episode of the Farmington Feed. Thank you for listening. We look forward to connecting with residents with this podcast. If you have feedback, guest requests, or ideas, email me at Communications@FarmingtonMN.gov. Don't forget to subscribe to the Farmington Feed wherever you like to get your podcasts.