Ready at long last to savor some holiday spirit? Peruse this photographic salute to the Valley’s most lavish Christmas displays and seasonal light celebrations.
By Jason Keil | Photography by Johnny Kompar
David Hale
Christmas Tractor
David Hale’s father always talked about building a Christmas float when he was growing up on a dairy farm in Idaho, but it was the antique tractors standing still in the yard of his own North-Central Phoenix home that motivated Hale to do it himself. Call it divine inspiration, but for nearly two decades, Hale has taken the sketches he’s drawn in church and brought them to life with a new theme every year. (His 2024 theme was undecided as this issue went to press.) He then drives his creation around his neighborhood near 10th Street and Rose Lane every night from Thanksgiving through the New Year, occasionally bringing singers or a Scout troop along for the ride. Folks occasionally complain about the noise, but Hale will gladly accommodate by turning down the volume. “It’s about bringing joy,” he says.
Bob Spacey Jr.
Scary Christmas House
Before putting up his family’s eye-catching holiday light display, Bob Spacey Jr. had never seen the iconic Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Even now, he still isn’t as big a fan as his wife and daughter. But when the family went to Disneyland one year and saw Halloweentown brought to life, he knew he could re-create the spooky and festive elements of the film in his front yard. Given that his display celebrates two holidays, Spacey has to direct the traffic that comes to his home at Escuda Drive and Wahalla Lane in Glendale in October and after Thanksgiving. He says the neighbors don’t mind. Some are even getting in on the act. “The street used to be dark,” Spacey says. “Now they’re fully decked out.”
Stacey Parsons
It’s A Small World
As you may have guessed from the large array of colorful characters surrounding her luminous home, located near South Veneto and East Starkey avenues in Mesa, Stacey Parsons is a big Disney fan. What started as a simple holiday display has become larger and more technologically complex over the years, now taking Parsons and her husband five weekends to put everything together. The centerpiece is an archway inspired by the famous It’s a Small World ride at Disneyland, illuminated by blinking lights set to a playlist of more than 40 Disney songs. Visitors can listen to the music from the radio in their car, but young ones always want to leave the back seat to press the red button at the front of the display to start a minor artificial snowstorm in the desert. In keeping with the “small world” theme, nearby homes have begun to join in the fun. “We’re blessed to have great neighbors,” Parsons says. “We’ve managed to get four into the show!”
Lulu Huang
Imaginarium360
Taking inspiration from the Chinese Lantern Festival she saw every year growing up in China, Lulu Huang and her team at Imaginarium360 – a California-based company that creates walk-through light displays in six different U.S. cities – spend three months offsite crafting arrays of glowing wildlife, familiar storybook characters, story boxes and mind-bending infinity mirror rooms that typify their seasonal menageries. Their current When Light Meets Magic display at Phoenix Premium Outlets in Chandler, running through November 10, took another month to assemble on-site. If you miss the Imaginarium this year, don’t fret – Huang’s team returns annually with a new theme. “Our customers are always thrilled when they walk into the venue,” she says. “They love all the interactive lights, immersive experiences and beautiful photo opportunities.” imaginarium360.com
