By Kim Kalunian, Entertainment Contributor
Sure, there are professional displays you can head to this 2014 holiday season, but there are also dozens of spectacular homemade light displays across Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut that can’t be missed. With glittering globes, fanciful figurines, choreographed musical numbers and thousands of twinkling lights, these homemade displays are sure to make your holiday season merry and bright.
1. The Picozzi Family Christmas Display – 75 Gristmill Road, Warwick
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Frank Picozzi is always working to make his Warwick display bigger and better. Spectators can see Christmas lights “dance” in time to seasonal songs on his front lawn every night this holiday season. The lights go on daily at 5:30 p.m. and shine until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 10:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Music can be heard by tuning car radios to 97.1 FM. Picozzi also accepts donations from those who attend the display to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation.
2. The Crazy Christmas House & The Conway Christmas Lights Extravaganza – 265 Maple Valley Road, Coventry, RI
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Tyler Horrocks and Joey Conway have come together this year for a massive Christmas light display in Coventry. They\’re even going national, competing this year on ABC\’s Great Christmas Light Fight. You can see their debut on Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. on ABC. This year\’s display features more than 100,000 dancing lights, 65 handmade character cutouts and a 30-foot \”Frozen\” castle. They\’re also raising money for The Tomorrow Fund and accepting donations for the Coventry Food Bank on December 6, 13, and 20.
3. The Frisina Family Christmas Lights - 283 Massasoit Ave., East Providence
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The Frisina Family sets up a show of 9,000 lights at their Massasoit Avenue home. Listen to the holiday tunes on 89.9 FM and watch the show nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. The Frisina family will be collecting donations for the Ronald McDonald House.
4. Lewis Family Christmas – 12 Shenandoah Road, Warwick
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Take a turn off Post Road in Warwick as you head to East Greenwich and you’ll find the Lewis Family Christmas light display. The family of seven all contributes to the display, which even includes fake snow. The lights come on daily at 5 p.m. and shine until 9. The Lewis family – who uses solar panels to help power their display – collects donations for the West Bay Community Action Energy Fund. Music can be heard on 106.9 FM.
5. Head Family Christmas – 6 Merchant Street, Rumford
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This display of 20,000 lights dances to the music on 91.7 FM. The Head Family collects donations for the Make A Wish Foundation and runs their show daily until Dec. 31. The lights come on every night at 5 p.m. and go until 9 p.m. weeknights and 9:30 p.m. weekends. More info here.
6. The Cavallaro Christmas Display – 6 Hebdeen Street, Johnston
Charles Cavallaro started decorating his home in 1972 and never stopped. Although his lights don’t “dance” and there’s no music, local still flock to his yard to look at his dazzling display. Cavallaro’s lights shine nightly from 4:30 to 9 p.m. He says he continues to decorate his home just to see the smiles on kids’ faces.
7. National Chain Christmas Display – 55 Access Road, Warwick
The sprawling display on the front lawn of the National Chain Group in Warwick can be seen glowing from Route 95. But you can also visit it on foot, too. Head into the industrial area off Jefferson Boulevard and you’ll be able to get an up-close look at the dozens of figurines and thousands of lights that sit just off the highway. The display has been up and running since 1973.
8. Giroux Family Christmas Display – 69 Outlook Avenue, East Providence
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Now that their Halloween display is done for the season, the Giroux Family is moving on to Christmas. The Giroux Family Christmas Display lights nightly, starting at 5 p.m. and running until 9:15 p.m. weeknights and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday night. Listen to the music for the display on 94.9 FM. The Giroux Family collects donations for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
9. The Sachs Family Lights Extravaganza – 21 Mann Street, Bellingham, MA
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It takes the Sachs family nearly 365 days, 40,000 lights and two miles of extension cord to make their Christmas display a reality. Listen to the show on 101.7 FM and be dazzled by the dancing lights. Like the Giroux family, the Sachs also go all out for Halloween, but now it’s all about Christmas. The show runs nightly starting at 5:30 p.m. and continuing until 10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Although their address is in Mass., the Sachs home is only about a block away from Woonsocket, RI.
10. Quiet Corner Christmas - 251 Wauregan Rd., Brooklyn, CT
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Hop over the western Rhode Island border to Brooklyn, Conn. for this light show. Just 10 minutes off Route 6 is Quiet Corner Christmas, which collects money for the Wounded Warrior Project. The show features 77,000 lights and a half dozen Christmas songs for your enjoyment. Listen to the tunes on 95.1 FM. The display runs nightly starting Nov. 28 from 5 to 10 p.m. with an extra hour on Fridays and Saturdays.
11. Woonsocket Christmas - 45 Victory Boulevard, Woonsocket
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A Mount St. Charles student is behind this colorful display. Working hand in hand with his father, teenager Tom works to set up 5,000 lights on his family’s Woonsocket home. Located at 45 Victory Boulevard in Woonsocket, the lights in this display run nightly from 4:15 to 10 p.m. Listen to the music for the show at 91.5 FM.
12. The Zompa Family Display - 9 Hawkins Blvd., North Providence
The Zompa Family\’s display doesn\’t dance or blink in time to music, but it does draw a crowd. The display features about 9,000 lights, which adorn nearly every inch of the house, including the roof!
13. Amarante\'s Winter Wonderland - 8 Pratt Road, Dayville, CT
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Just over the Connecticut border in Dayville, Amarante\’s Winter Wonderland has been lighting up the night for the past seven years. Started by Daniel Amarante and his father, the display has grown each year. Now it features more than 120,000 lights, 23 inflatables, and a LED walking path around the entire display. Visitors can donate to Make-A-Wish, DKH Deary Cancer Memorial Fund, Friends of Assisi Food Pantry or to the light display itself. The displays runs nightly, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Kim Kalunian
Entertainment Contributor
An award-winning journalist and theater critic – and a performer at heart. Kim covers everything from politics and breaking news to food and theater. Kim is the weekday afternoon news anchor on WPRO.
