NewsDecember 11, 2017
Light and music show: Jackson family goes high-tech with Christmas display
Through technological advances and specialized computer software, many local households have stepped up their holiday decor to include intricate, musical Christmas light displays. Brooks and Brandon Clark of Kelso, Missouri, were some of the first locals to dazzle the region with their first musical Christmas light show in 2009...
Through technological advances and specialized computer software, many local households have stepped up their holiday decor to include intricate, musical Christmas light displays.
Brooks and Brandon Clark of Kelso, Missouri, were some of the first locals to dazzle the region with their first musical Christmas light show in 2009.
The Hubbard family now is making its name known in Jackson and beyond with a light show of its own.
In its third year, the annual Hubbard light show has grown to involve their entire house and lawn with synchronous strobing lights.
Brian and Angela Hubbard have been programming the light sequences since June and began setting up the show the first weekend of November.
The family installed a flagpole to accommodate this year’s newest and most noticeable light fixture — a 17-foot-tall “cosmic color ribbon” that coordinates patterns to create moving images through its strands of lights.
Once in motion, the light patterns create a mesmerizing blend of music and light lasting over 20 minutes before restarting.
The show’s soundtrack plays on the 92.1 FM radio frequency and opens with an audio clip of Clark Griswold from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” before kicking into a six-song playlist of holiday tracks: “Christmas Vacation” by Mavis Staples, “Light of Christmas” by Owl City, “Little Drummer Boy” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Pentatonix, the classic Christmas carol “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and one dubstep song, “Carol of the Bells” by Capital Kings.
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As his wife handled the design and layout of the display, Brian said he taught himself to handle the show’s electrical aspects.
“I just got on the internet and started researching — a lot of YouTube videos,” Brian said.
He also found a way to light the show without lighting up his electric bill by primarily using LED lights.
The Hubbard family uses the light show’s popularity to promote CarePortal — an agency that works with churches to help local families during times of crisis.
Last year, the agency received about $500 in donations from the light show, and the Hubbard family already has raised hundreds this year.
The display is in operation from 6 to 10:30 p.m. daily at 1565 Jennifer Drive in Jackson through New Year’s Eve.
bmatthews@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3652
Pertinent address: 1565 Jennifer Drive, Jackson, Missouri
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