This time of year, families around Acadiana turn their homes into a stage celebrating all things festive — from Christmas trees and nativity scenes, to glowing tableaus and holiday greetings of all kinds.
These are the families that go all out with exterior illumination and yard decor, adding to the cheer of the season for their neighbors and passers-by. It’s a labor of love, with hundreds of hours (and thousands of bulbs) going into building destination displays that will only be up for a few weeks.
For the past 30 years, the Myers family has gone all-out decorating their house on Julia Street in New Iberia for the holiday season. The resulting display now has a name and a Facebook page, “Joy on Julia” — and homeowner Clint Myers said that joy is exactly what the work brings him each year.
“My wife and I, we love Christmas,” he said. “When I was growing up my family never decorated anything outside, but my parents would take us to drive and see all these lights. I just knew it was something I wanted to do once I became an adult, and it just progressed until I got it — well, not exactly where I want it. I’m out of yard space.”
Area light displays run the gamut from demure twinkle lights, to holiday-themed lasers, radio-programmed shows and explosions of color and cheer that reflect the household’s personality. The Myers’ display shows off decades of collection and tradition — while the Frank home in the LaPlace neighborhood of Lafayette represents the beginnings of tradition…