'That's A Lot Of Lights' In Levittown
More than 100,000 lights make up a spectacular Christmas lights show in the Willowood neighborhood
That's a lot of lights -- more than 100,000 lights make up a spectacular Christmas lights show in Levittown's Willowood section.
Neil DiSpirito lives at 1 White Spruce Lane and has been welcoming spectators to his home for 18 Christmas seasons.
The house stays lit up from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for roughly 30 days this season, but on Christmas Eve DiSpirito said the lights stay on through the night.
This year's presentation opened up on Dec. 4, but work putting up all those Christmas lights and decorations began well before that on Oct. 1.
DiSpirito said he is not one to take credit for all the work. He has dozens of volunteers who come and help out every year, working various shifts. DiSpirito said he even took off work the month of November to make sure everything is up and ready for the holiday season.
On the first night, DiSpirito said he and his volunteers handed out 3,000 candy canes to kids and said roughly 6,000 to 7,000 people made it out to see the sensation.
"Insane" – that's how DiSpirito described his electric bills that run in the thousands of dollars. He works a second job and restores motorcycles in the summer to help pay for the bill and he refuses to accept any donations.
"The first time we take a dollar from someone it changes things," DiSpirito said.
Instead, he said he prefers donations be made out to Levittown Fire Company No. 1. He said the all-volunteer company could use to the funds to help pay for fire gear and smoke detectors for those in need.
As a child, DiSpirito said he aspired to recreate a home in his neighborhood that had a magnificent display. Now, he's using some of those decorations from the 1930s that were passed along to make it happen.
DiSpirito said he believes he's meant to put up the display for the children and believes it's what Christmas is all about. When asked if it's in his namesake DiSpirito said, "I think it's in my blood."
The place also has a magical effect.
Recently, a couple was engaged on the property and that's not the first time it's happened, DiSpirito said. He said he's also met adults who were there as children now bringing children of their own to see Santa.
Santa makes an appearance nightly and will be there on Christmas Eve.
That's a lot of lights until New Year's Eve, when the lights go out. So try to make it out and see it in person, DiSpirito said -- it's worth it!
colleen holmes
5:08 pm on Friday, December 24, 2010
Watching there faces light up as they walk up to Neils house is something you will never forget!!!
Thank you Neil for letting me be apart of the team. colleen P.S cant wait for next year
Saliqa Khan
6:40 pm on Saturday, December 25, 2010
I can only imagine. Thanks for sharing your feelings Colleen!
Bill
5:15 pm on Saturday, December 25, 2010
Get rid of the Blue outline. Tacky.
Saliqa Khan
6:38 pm on Saturday, December 25, 2010
Those are actually hyperlinks. If you click on them it'll take you to their website where you can read more about Neil DiSpirito and his volunteers' wonderful efforts.