There’s still plenty of time to enjoy a popular holiday tradition: Christmas lights and taking a slow drive to see them. But instead of driving around the city, we have one of the most stunning Christmas light shows synchronized with music in our own Vista Del Mundo neighborhood! That’s right, if you haven’t already been, a MUST SEE is the Gronager Christmas Light Show at 1504 Grey Rock Road NE. With over 40,000 synchronized lights, this house provides a dazzling display of art and music that you can watch from your car and listen on 87.9 FM radio. Which of our neighbors is behind this show stopper you ask? Well we met John, a retired PhD nuclear engineer from Sandia National Labs, to discuss how this feast for the senses came about.
It all started eight years ago when one of his rental properties had a small light synchronized light show, and John liked it. So he started at his home with just 16 channels, then it grew to 48 channels, to eventually the 40,000 channels that it currently has. When he first started, it would take about 20 hours to program one minute of song. Eventually, John joined a small group of international synchronized light enthusiasts where he found software that would help program his songs with the lights at a faster rate. Now this group often shares programs and sequences with each other for Halloween and Christmas, so his job doesn’t take quite as long as it has in the past. However, if he is programming for a new song, it still can take a whole day just to program one minute.
Why does he do it? He does it for the love of his hobby. He says,“My family calls me a serial overachiever.” He is fortunate to have a supportive wife, family, and neighbors. Also, with their work over the years, his family has donated a total of $35,000 to the Wounded Warrior Family Support and the Cancer Services of New Mexico. In front of his house is a donation box for the charities, and also a guest book. “We love reading all the comments!” It also makes the family happy knowing they are helping others with the charitable donations and with the joy they spread. There have even been three couples that have been engaged to be married in front of his light show!
I especially want to thank my neighbors for putting up with all the traffic and bright lights … We couldn’t do it without such supportive neighbors
Surprisingly enough, due to the lights all being LED, the household electric bill only goes up about $100 during the season. The songs and themes are chosen by family members. From Star Wars to Elvis, family members have had an input to what songs and displays they feel would work best in the light show. This year, John added in a tribute to the Armed Forces. He anticipates continually changing and updating the program every year. “I especially want to thank my neighbors for putting up with all the traffic and bright lights,” said John. “We couldn’t do it without such supportive neighbors.” John and his family have lived in the Vista del Mundo neighborhood nearly forty years, and he says he’ll continue to do the show in our neighborhood as long as he’s able. “My wife insisted I needed some help on all the ladders, so we now have hired some help to put the lights up and take them down.” The Gronager Christmas Light Show can be seen from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM every day beginning the first Sunday after Thanksgiving until January 1. You can visit them at https://www.facebook.com/TheGronagerChristmasLightShow/.
Written by Mamie Chan, OD, President, ABQ Eye Care, Vista del Mundo Homeowner