March 28, 2024

Bright family lights up Prairie City with holiday display

Every year during the month of December, homes begin to light up with lawn displays, LED projections and old-fashion Christmas lights.

For many, decorating their homes for the holidays has become as big of a family tradition as the Christmas tree. But this year, one family has used this illuminated, holiday ritual to brighten up the whole town.

“If you are looking at the right time, you can see our lights as you come into town from Colfax,” Prairie City resident Mitch Bright said. “This year, we have had some good weather nights and there are cars lining up all around ... We have people from Newton and Monroe coming down here.”

With a name that truly fits the job, the Bright family has been lavishly lightening up their homes for years. According to Bright, he began decorating large displays at his parents’ home. When Bright and his wife, Mandi, purchased their home at 500 N. Orchard St., the couple started to get a little more creative with their holiday displays.

“I always loved Christmas lights. As a kid, we would go out to Des Moines and see bigger light shows than this. You don’t see that anymore. I was like, ‘I want to do it. Let’s do it,’” he said. “This show took me two-and-a-half weeks to set up.”

The couple said their outdoor decorations began to really kick it up when the two started dating three years ago. Mandi said they received more than a truck load of decorations from her stepmother after her father died. Some friends donated more lawn displays and soon, the family found themselves hitting up garage sales, repurposing other items and were always on the lookout for more unique lights.

When the holidays finally came this year, they decided to make a display bigger than anything they have ever done before.

“Three years ago, all I had was five or six inflatables and I only decorated along the house and the garage,” Mitch said. “Most of the yard was nothing like it is now.”

This year, the Bright’s home features a lit up path for passersby to walk through and check out the decorations. The displays, which will be up until New Year’s, weather permitting, include a giant, multi-colored, string light Christmas tree, old-fashion lit-up Santa Claus with wooden reindeer and an LED Christmas countdown sign. In addition to numerous themed areas from a “Redneck” trailer park to a Minion holiday party, the couple said it is guaranteed visitors will see something new every time they walk through their yard.

“For me, my favorite is the gingerbread (display). That was my scene,” Mandi said. “The gumdrops are made from sand pails for kids. A lot of things came from Pinterest.”

As several displays came from family members and friends, the couple said many of the displays are sentimental to the family.

“Some of the stuff we used in our wedding – the flamingos, the red solo cup lights,” Mandi said. “We used those things in our wedding to incorporate it with our theme.”

Mitch said with too many lights to count in their display, their home is at its limits in powering the lights for their display. They said they are very thankful to their neighbor Hank Newell for allowing them to use some of his electricity to power their Christmas show.

“He offered and said, ‘I know you guys had problems last year. You couldn’t run the dish washers, the washing machine, the dryer. You used the microwave once and you popped the main breaker of the house,’” Mitch said. “We are still at the limits again. I keep adding more and more.”

The couple said due to the small town nature and a wanting to add more holiday activities for kids the do, they decided to include more interactive components to their holiday tradition. The couple put out a mailbox in front of their home for kids to drop off their letters for Santa. Last Saturday, the man in red made a visit and gave visitors a chance to take photos, tell him their holiday wishes and go home with some toy trucks.

“The (Christmas) tradition sort of faded away from here over time. I am so proud of my daughter-in-law and my son for trying to bring that back,” Jim Bright, Mitch’s father, said. “They are bringing the tradition back to this little town.”

The couple said they are already planning for next year. Mitch said they plan to add more characters to the display and interactive activities for the children.

“So many people tell us how may times they have to drive by. They said they have to take a detour by our house on their way home,” Mandi said. “For the kids’ sake, the brightness in the lights brings magic to them, and even to the adults.”

For more information about the Bright's home, find Bright Lights Down Orchard Lane 500 N Orchard St. Prairie City on Facebook.

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@myprairiecitynews.com