Christmas lights up Hillside Ave.

One of the more detailed Christmas light displays in the city is on Hillside Avenue where David and Kitty Adams have put out their lights – with everything from a talking Santa to old-time Gingerbread men – for the past 17 years.

One of the more detailed Christmas light displays in the city is on Hillside Avenue where David and Kitty Adams have put out their lights – with everything from a talking Santa to old-time Gingerbread men – for the past 17 years.

When one pulls up to the home of David and Kitty Adams on Hillside Avenue, at least during this time of year, they’re greeted with a six-foot-tall Santa Claus lawn ornament singing ‘Deck the Halls.’

The red glow of hundreds of Christmas lights and the busy buzzing of snowmen inflatables and a Christmas Day countdown cannot be missed.

Once, the couple’s nephew came over for a Christmas party and went up to the lawn Santa and began – in earnest – reading off his Christmas list.

“We knew we had found success when that happened,” said David Adams this week. “When you have kids giving a Santa Christmas decoration their Christmas list, then you know you have something.”

And have something they do.

About three or four people a night pull up the steep incline of Hillside Avenue to see the couple’s display.

Once, a Chinese family knocked on the door and asked if they could come into the yard and take a picture with some of the décor.

Adams said it has become a tradition for he and his wife in the fall – as they start off the season with a detailed Halloween display, which includes a hearse in the front yard.

From there, they take about two weeks or so to transition to the biggie, a Christmas display.

“We’ve been doing this about 17 or 18 years now, since we moved in,” said David. “We’ve had stuff given to us and my brother actually built the sleigh. There are no nails in the sleigh either, nor are there pegs. It’s actually held together with candy canes. My favorite is the talking Santa. He’s been her 10 or 12 years now. My mother always decorated to an extent, but we didn’t have a big yard. I just took it one step further because we had a nice front area and a lot of people can see it.”

Truly, many people do see the display as they drive up Rt. 1A or the Parkway.

So far, no one has really complained either.

“Maybe 10 years ago we had one woman that put a note on the Santa,” said Adams. “For 17 years and one complaint; that’s not too bad. Most people come up to see it and tell us that they like it.”

Adams said he doesn’t comment on the electric bill, but did reveal something.

“It’s not too bad really,” he said. “It’s only three months of the year and we really enjoy it. I am a little afraid this year because my sister said the electric bills are going up and I understand the rates have gone up a bit this year. We’ll see.”

Occasionally, they also do an Easter display, but Adams admitted “it doesn’t happen every year.”

“It depends on when it falls, early or late,” said Kitty.

Adams said they try to do something new every year, and try to keep up with the new technology. In fact, he said another friend on Campbell Avenue recently gave them a lot of stuff.

“He has decorated his house for a long time, but said he just couldn’t do it anymore,” said Adams. “So, we added to our collection and we’ll keep it going.”

The Adams’s light up their display around 4:30 p.m. every night, and they’re at 20 Hillside Ave.

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