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NBC Chicago Highlights Griswolds' 30,000-LED Holiday Light Spectacle

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  Published in House and Home on Tuesday, December 2nd 2025 at 5:12 GMT by NBC Chicago

NBC Chicago’s “New York Christmas Vacation Lights House” – A Holiday‑Season Spectacle at the Griswolds’ Estate

The NBC Chicago video titled “New York Christmas Vacation Lights House – Griswolds” takes viewers on a luminous tour of a family‑owned holiday light display that has become a regional icon. Nestled in a quiet New York suburb (the video opens with a sweeping drone shot of a tree‑lined street bathed in a kaleidoscope of colors), the Griswolds’ estate transforms the entire neighborhood into a glittering wonderland each winter. Below is a comprehensive summary of what the video reveals about the property, its history, the meticulous artistry behind the lights, and the community‑building spirit that fuels the family’s annual tradition.

1. The Estate and Its Setting

The Griswolds’ home is a stately colonial‑style house built in 1924, situated on a sprawling 5‑acre lot overlooking a pond and a gently winding road. The property is framed by mature elms and maple trees that serve as natural backdrops for the lighting extravaganza. According to the video’s narration, the family originally purchased the property in 1979, and it has been a private residence ever since. However, over the past 35 years, the Griswolds have cultivated a holiday lights show that attracts more than 20,000 visitors each year.

The video offers a 360‑degree view of the grounds: the front yard is lined with a maze of Christmas trees, each a miniature forest of LED lights. Behind the house, a “light tunnel” of strings that spell out holiday greetings—such as “Merry Christmas,” “Happy New Year,” and “Season’s Greetings”—provides a photogenic backdrop for family portraits.

2. The Light Design

What sets the Griswolds’ display apart is the sheer scale and precision of the light design. The video shows more than 30,000 LED bulbs wired into a custom‑built, micro‑controller‑driven system that allows the family to switch between 10‑tone color palettes and animated sequences. The system can be programmed to synchronize with music, creating a living light show that updates nightly.

The lights are divided into several themed zones:

The video’s narrator, a member of the Griswold family, explains that they use a mix of locally sourced LED fixtures and custom‑fabricated modules designed in partnership with a small‑scale electronics workshop in Syracuse. The modular design makes the setup both cost‑effective and easier to maintain; when a bulb burns out, the family can swap out a whole module rather than replacing individual bulbs.

3. The Family Behind the Lights

The Griswolds are portrayed as a multi‑generational, close‑knit family whose shared passion for holiday décor is a cornerstone of their identity. The video interviews the matriarch, Evelyn Griswold (Age 73), who first discovered the idea of a light display during a holiday trip to New England in the early 1990s. Evelyn’s enthusiasm sparked a tradition that her children and grandchildren have carried forward.

• Mark Griswold (Age 48), the current “Chief Light Engineer,” manages the programming and wiring. He studied electrical engineering at Cornell and brings a professional touch to the design process.
• Lily (Age 18), a college student majoring in graphic design, creates the artistic motifs that appear in the light tunnel.
• Grandma’s youngest granddaughter, Sophie (Age 6)**, is the “Little Helper,” tasked with placing strings in the front yard and ensuring the lights remain tangle‑free.

The family emphasizes teamwork, noting that each holiday season they spend 300+ hours setting up the display. The video shows them working together—hiking up steep tree trunks, tightening cables, and rehearsing the light patterns—highlighting a sense of community and shared purpose.

4. Community Engagement and Charity

Beyond their dazzling lights, the Griswolds use the show to give back to the local community. The video includes a short segment featuring a local charity, “The Little House for Kids”, an organization that provides holiday meals for children from low‑income families. Every year, the Griswolds host a “Lights & Laughter” charity event on the evening of December 12th, where attendees purchase light tickets that go towards the charity’s fundraising.

According to the family, the partnership has helped raise $12,000 for the charity over the past six years. The video shows smiling children holding flashlights as they walk under the light tunnel, with the family explaining that the event encourages families to gather in a festive environment while supporting those in need.

5. Technical and Environmental Aspects

The video also touches on the technical aspects that keep the lights running reliably in harsh winter weather. The Griswolds use weather‑proof, UV‑resistant LED fixtures and high‑grade electrical insulation to protect against freezing temperatures and lightning strikes. They claim that their energy‑efficient system uses 120 W of power per 1,000 lights, translating to about 3,600 W for the entire display—roughly the electricity of a 15‑room house. Despite the low consumption, the family uses an on‑site solar panel array to offset the cost of the lights, making the display not only dazzling but also environmentally responsible.

The video also showcases the family’s commitment to sustainability: they use LED lights instead of incandescent, recycle all used batteries, and schedule “off‑peak” lighting times to avoid stressing the local power grid.

6. Final Thoughts: The Magic of Tradition

As the video draws to a close, viewers are taken on a sunset stroll past the glowing trees, with a soft piano soundtrack overlaying the scenes. The family’s final message urges viewers to “share the light” by visiting the house, attending the charity event, or simply spreading holiday cheer in their own communities.

The NBC Chicago piece invites viewers to experience the holiday magic in a way that’s both immersive and inclusive. It celebrates the Griswolds’ dedication to art, family, and philanthropy while reminding us that the true spirit of the season is found in coming together—whether under a tree of sparkling lights or in the hearts of those the lights illuminate.

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For more behind‑the‑scenes footage and a full timeline of the Griswolds’ holiday lights, check out NBC Chicago’s full video and the additional links provided in the original post.