Fairview Park: There’s healthy competition for home decorating among homeowners in this suburb. Check out the Seabury Avenue light display, where more than 60 homes are lighting up the night. Take homeowner Bill McVicker, who started the tradition by continuing his grandfather’s favorite holiday hobby. Expect to see garland lights that make up Santa’s runway, a holiday train, a 12-foot candy cane and giant snowflakes. “I miss my grandfather,” says McVicker. “To continue this on is so important to me. It makes me happy.”
Highland Heights: Don’t miss the Magic Window, where you can see a life-size projected Santa video at the Rus residence. Tune into 96.3 FM in your cars while you pull up for the show of Santa conducting the music you hear. Every night there is a different theme and video to accompany the 20-foot inflatable Santa and snowman attraction. “It’s a unique experience,” says Ivan Rus. “This goes back 20 years, and it has only gotten bigger. My wife says I’ve gotten out of control, but it’s just fun.”
Strongsville: Real estate firm Redfin named this suburb No. 5 on its list of best places in the U.S. to see holiday lights, so expect a spirited show when you drive through the Crown Point Parkway Festival of Lights featuring nine decked-out homes. Enjoy pictures with Santa and hot cocoa (weekends this month) before you walk over to Dan Hoag’s house to find 210 blow molds, 55,000 lights, and the North Star and Santa and his reindeer on the roof. “You have to see it to appreciate it,” says Hoag. “It’s such an honor to be able to do something that brings so much enjoyment to people.”
Light Bright
Growing up, it was always Ivan Rus’ job to put up the holiday lights on his parent’s home in Euclid. For the last 23 years, he has continued the tradition at his own home in Highland Heights with his children. Now that his kids are grown up, he keeps up his favorite holiday ritual to spread the cheer to his community.
It makes me happy to see the joy in the little kids. Last season it was so warm outside and you could hear them yelling out their windows, ‘I see Santa!’ It’s neat to hear that. That’s what Christmas is all about. It’s always meant a lot to me in terms of family. I built this home so I could have multiple outlets in the front of the house, because I knew that I would need them for Christmas. — as told to Kimberly Jauregui
