White Plains block aglow with holiday lights
You might call Chuck Barringer a holiday person.
He's one of those neighbors who decorate the house and the front yard and puts on a Santa suit for no particular reason other than to make people smile.
Once a year, Barringer's White Plains neighborhood is lit with nearly 10,000 computer controlled lights synchronized to music, which makes for a dazzling holiday show.
He's got a gingerbread-theme in the front yard. The backyard is lit with white lights, and Santa is perched on a bench in the back winter garden for those visitors that want to take a picture with the big man in red. There's hot cocoa, too.
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A virtual Santa plays music in an attic window, with every fifth song a video.
"My show runs continuously so you don’t have to worry about missing anything," Barringer says. "You get here and something is happening."
The lights and the music are on from 5:30 to 11 p.m. nightly until Jan. 1. And not just at Barringer's house.
He started this holiday tradition in 2005 with just a small display at his own house, but each year it got bigger and bigger as his neighbors joined in on the decorating.
That's right: Instead of complaining about the crowds of people looking at the Christmas lights, for the last four years his neighbors have participated in the show.
"No one’s complained; they’ve joined it," says Barringer. "We’ve seen it with the whole street parked with cars — maybe close to a 100 as we get close to Christmas." This year, three neighbors are participating with lights and decorations.
Known collectively as 21 N. Kensico Ave., the lights have been on since Nov. 27.
A Maryland native, Barringer was the youngest in his family and enjoying Christmas lights was a part of an annual tradition. "What we would do as a family is drive around and see the homes," he says. "As an adult is when I realized how important it was."
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Eight years ago, he started electrically controlling the lights creating a "show" that features 62 songs and videos; the lights are controlled to move in time with the music. "You take a song or video you like, twinkle and fade in and out; now I've got control over five elements of my three neighbors' homes."
When visitors hit North Kensico Avenue, they can tune into a radio frequency to hear the synchronized music from their cars.
A few years ago, Barringer put out a guestbook to see where people were coming from and discovered many were travelling from as far away as Europe and Asia.
"I ended up finding out people were coming from Korea, Japan, Ireland and the UK," Barringer says. "People were making this their kickoff to the holidays and bringing guests; some have come for five years."
Barringer moved from incandescent lights to LEDs four years ago and continues to update his existing lights.
"The nice thing with the show is even if all the lights are on, my energy cost is about a cup of coffee - and for me it’s well worth the cost," he says. He also doesn't take donations to keep the lights on, saying he prefers that guests donate to a charity of their choice.
The light show is not faith-based and songs celebrate Christmas and the Jewish faith with popular holiday favorites mixed in. Guests that drop by on Christmas Eve get a special treat when Barringer appears as Santa about four or five times during the evening.
Barringer, who is single and has no children, says he does this just because of family.
"It warms my heart to see families have a good time; it makes me feel great to see families watch it together," he says.
Twitter: @krhudsonvalley
If you go
Where: 21 N. Kensico Ave., White Plains
When: Daily, 5:30-11 p.m. until Jan. 1
Info: Find directions, FAQs and more: www.nychristmaslights.com
RELATED: Check out Brooklyn's Dyker Heights light show
More holiday lights
- 155 Vaneck Drive, New Rochelle
- 58 Gedney Park Drive, White Plains
- 50 Parsons Street, Harrison. Roy Aletti's dazzling display is a holiday tradition.
- 50 Iroquois Road, Ossining
- 16 Luigi Road, Putnam Valley: The Keeler Christmas Light Display is aglow from 6 p.m. to midnight.
- 1605 Pelham Parkway North, the Bronx: Known as "The Christmas House," the Garabedian family has been hosting this display since 1974. It has more than 200 animated figures, many with recognizable likenesses of Hollywood celebs, others more angelic, all dressed up for the holidays.
Show us your lights
There are dazzling displays throughout the Lower Hudson Valley. Think yours are worth a visit? Upload your photos to lohud.com/snap and include your email address and #lohudholiday in your caption.