Temple Terrace Resident Transforms Neighborhood Into 60,000-Light Holiday Display

Lucas Hutchins has transformed River Ridge Drive in Temple Terrace into a holiday spectacle. 60,000 lights blanket the street. He's built this display across 18 years. The Temple Terrace Light Show pulls thousands of visitors each December to the River Run subdivision.

Hutchins began this project when he moved into his house 18 years back. A sprawling oak tree on the property caught his eye. Year after year, he kept adding lights, garlands, glowing arches, and a snow machine. Now there's a full light show synced to Christmas music broadcast on 95.5 FM for drivers who pass through.

"I think a lot of it is I'm very sad that Christmas kind of seems to be phasing out and not as many people are decorating," he said, according to Tampa Beacon. "The less I see of other people's neighborhoods, the more I want to add here."

The display runs through the first week in January. Hutchins decorates roughly half the street himself and handles most of the lights that stretch across the roadway.

Lights and props consume a 1,600-square-foot split-level storage unit. Trailers shuttle decorations back and forth between the unit and his house. Hutchins rents a lift four or five times a season to wrap the oak tree — a task that eats up three days of work during Labor Day weekend.

The setup features many smart pixels he can control from a computer. Pixels let him shift colors and choreograph sequences to songs. He also uses LEDs for trees and rooftops.

Hutchins runs Lucas Lawn Care during the day. His decorating schedule kicks off in September, squeezing in a few hours before and after landscaping jobs. Homes get decorated the first week of November. His goal? Everything lit by Thanksgiving.

The operation drains his wallet. Last year, his December electric bill hit $600. That's nearly double previous years. This season's bill is expected to climb even higher.

"That's why I really like what I do, because people, they don't have to worry about buying anything. They can just drive through and see the lights," Hutchins said.

The snow machine runs Thursday through Sunday. On Christmas Eve, Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, and elves make appearances. Hutchins hands out cookies and hot chocolate to the thousands of visitors who walk or drive the street.

The Temple Terrace Light Show can be visited at 7804 River Ridge Drive each night until 11 p.m.