It's the jolliest yard on the South Shore. 150 inflatables and so much heart

HANSON - Eat your heart out, Clark Griswold, Tim Young is here to put your Christmas display to shame.

The Hanson homeowner, along with his wife, Kim, and longtime friend Ken Stone, continue to build upon the initially modest Christmas display they started when the Youngs moved into the home at 16 Woodbrook Lane off King Street in 1998.

What started with some lights here and a few inflatable displays there has expanded to the point where well over 150 inflatable characters line their entire front lawn − and even a little bit of their neighbor's (with permission, of course).

Strings of lights at hip level create clear paths for visitors to wander among the air-filled characters ranging from classic Disney to Harry Potter and Star Wars (there's more than one Darth Vader in the mix).

Leafless trees shine brightly with lights strung around the branches, as does the home's roof with its "Merry Christmas 2023" display. Several more strings of lights stream down from a flagpole.

A digital timer in the window counts down the days until Christmas Day.

"It's been a project, and we've learned from it,” Tim Young said of the display, which remains up through Dec. 30. “It’s still growing.”

Each year, they search for new inflatables online and in stores. Kim says she usually heads out to stores right after Christmas to scoop up whatever discounted decorations remain.

While the inflatables can wear down over time, Kim said the couple make every effort to preserve their collection and make repairs when possible.

"I've taken apart more than one (inflatable) motor and put it back together," she said.

House display helps Hanson Food Pantry

The Holiday House of Hanson, as it's come to be known locally, really kicked into overdrive four or five years ago, Tim said. He took advantage of the display's popularity to begin collecting food and monetary donations for the Hanson Food Pantry, for which he volunteers.

The display has generated several thousand of dollars in donations, Tim said. Their Halloween display, which is half the size of the Christmas one but still growing, generated about $1,000 in cash donations and 70 pounds of food, he said.

A large, red stand-alone mailbox next to the donation area is there so children can write and send their letters to Santa using a template Tim created. Each letter is answered by Santa or one of his helpers.

“We have a lot going on here,” Tim said.

Holiday House of Hanson Scavenger Hunt

They'll be even busier than usual this weekend when they hold their annual scavenger hunt from 10 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 9 and 10).

Santa will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Check out the Holiday House of Hanson Facebook page for updates and any scheduling change if the weather doesn't cooperate.

The scavenger hunt comes with a $10 suggested donation, which is not required to take part.

“It doesn't matter if you don't have any money," Tim said. "We just want people to have a good time.”

The scavenger hunt is based on finding answers to questions about the display, such as how many Santa inflatables are on display or the total number of inflatables. There will be a list of questions for the kids and a slightly harder one for adults wishing to take part.

'It's as easy as 1-2-3': Learning wiring solutions along the way

Tim, who manages a warehouse in the area, is not an electrician by trade, but he has learned about wiring and techniques to give him as much easy access to the displays as possible over the years.

“You have to really learn what you're doing,” he said.

He has three dedicated breakers for the display.

“It's as simple as 1-2-3. You throw three switches on and the whole thing goes on,” he said.

Each breaker represents a zone within the display, he said.

“I can turn on the inflatables at 8 in the morning and not have the lights going,” he said. “We don’t use timers. We just use the switches in the house."

Many of the wires are underground, so the display is both free from messy cords while also ensuring no one trips over them as they walk along the display paths.

Tim Young pointed out a lighted sign on the sidewalk near the driveway whose wire is nestled safely in a crack in the sidewalk.

"You learn to be creative and work with what you have," he said.

Technology has brought changes to the display, such as the introduction of LED string lights and streaming music.

Tim said he started with a five-CD changer and can now simply ask Alexa to find holiday music.

“And you’re good to go,” he said.

The Christmas music plays for the visitors as they wander through lighted paths to check out the hundreds of decorations. An FM feed allows visitors to take in the sights and sounds while sitting warmly in their cars.

Woodbrook Lane residents are down with the display

Tim said he hasn’t heard any complaints from his neighbors in the lightly populated area. In addition to his immediate neighbor to the right who allows the display to extend to their land, there are two houses across the street, both of which are set far back down long driveways.

“They're pretty good about it,” Tim said of his neighbors.

Many people park and explore the display on foot, but it's not uncommon to see cars passing slowly with an outstretched arm holding a phone to capture a picture or some video, Tim said.

It's moments like those, along with the children delighting in the display, that keep him going from one Christmas to the next.

“It is a lot of work," he said. "It's a labor of love, and it's all about joy and making people happy."

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Holiday House of Hanson returns with 150 inflatables