A Santa figure pokes out from a lighted inflatable airstream trailer and gives a wave.
It’s a wave hello to the visitors out to see the extravaganza of holiday lights on Henderson Road in Oak Bay, and a wave goodbye as this is the finale after 15 years.
As soon as dusk hits, the huge display coordinated by tech-savvy Brad Williams, jives to the sound of music on the radio.
A sign on the lawn lets passersby know where to find the music that adds the rhythm to the bopping and throbbing lights.
“I like things that move,” Williams told the Oak Bay News. “Things go off and on – and things colour change – and it’s all coordinated to the music using a computer program.”
He’s honed the display, alongside lead ladder-holder and wife Jill Williams, over 15 years.
“We spend probably three weeks setting this thing up and a couple of weeks tearing it down so that right there indicates we kind of like Christmas,” said Williams.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Langford decorator infuses Craigdarroch Castle with Christmas
They hope everyone comes out and enjoys this winter – the last for the massive display at 3198 Henderson.
“I’ll be 77 next Christmas which means that I’ve got a few things left on my bucket list and I’ve got to eliminate a few things and Christmas lights are one of them because of the time it takes,” said Williams. “It’s time to scale back.”
This year they relied on their adult children travelling in to help get the display up – which takes three to five weeks to put up and a couple weeks to tear down.
There will still be some lights up next Christmas, but it won’t be the over-the-top extravaganza of the past. During that time they’ve seen many a street party, cars lined up to Lansdowne Road and crawling along Henderson.
He worries the trend to go out and see big displays is waning, with snow on the ground last year visits were lower.
READ ALSO: Sidney author-illustrator turns 4,000-word poem into family favourite book
“I think perhaps coupling with the price of gas, the traffic over the last couple of years has not been great. It’s like doing a lot of work for Halloween and then nobody shows up,” he said.
But if the interest in purchasing portions of his setup is an indication, other folks are willing to take on the challenge.
This year, like others, they’ll occasionally pop out to visit and hand out little candy canes with those coming by. Two groups of visitors stand out as his favourites.
“What’s really fun is when the senior buses go by. Most of the senior homes in (Greater) Victoria have buses and they take their residents on tours. We’ll get Berwick coming by here 10 nights in a row,” he said. “The best is the kids … the kids in the back seat of the car and they’re rocking.”
Find the spectacle at 3198 Henderson Rd. The lights go on from 4 to10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 10:30 p.m.
READ ALSO: QUIZ: The festive tradition of the tree
on Friday and Saturday
