Strobing blue lights pulse with the opening notes of “Let It Go,” from the Disney movie “Frozen.”
White-lighted strands and trees twinkle as the music gains power. The outlines of Jason Hamilton’s Franklin home — its windows and doorways, peaks, gutters and support columns — glow in a multitude of colors.
The song and accompanying light display lasts for slightly more than three minutes. But putting together every flashing light strip, every color change and every explosion of illumination took hours and hours of work for Jason Hamilton.
“Coming home and doing this at night after work, it took me a good two or three weeks to build the whole song,” he said. “People look at it, and it is really neat. But most people probably don’t understand the time it takes to get those lights to do that.”
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryHamilton’s home at 1250 Niagara Lane in Franklin has been transformed into a flashing, blazing work of visual Christmas brilliance. He and his wife, Racheal, as well as their three child, have made it a holidays tradition to decorate their home.
The lights go start at 6 p.m. every night, going until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on the weekends. Not only does it bolster their own Christmas spirit, but it helps add to the festive atmosphere of the neighborhood in general.
“Our cul-de-sac has a lot of kids on it, and they seem to really enjoy it this time of year,” he said. “It’s a hobby that become addicting.”
The lights are are controlled by a computer program, which Hamilton painstakingly writes to include every single flash, movement or burst in the display. He decides what colors will appear when, from deep blues to vibrant greens to brilliant white.
Sometimes, the lights chase each other around the edges of the house. Other times, the illumination sparks up, then fades in a slow burn.
Effects such as a conical pole “tree” in the front yard and icicle lights in the trees add to the effect. A wreath hanging above the central window adds a traditional flourish to the display.
“Each year, it seems like I’m adding more and more things to it,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton has been staging his elaborate light shows for the past two years in his Franklin neighborhood. He had always put up Christmas lights on his home, but in 2013, he installed a small display that came pre-loaded with holiday music.
Last year, he used computer software to program a show, but this is the first time he’s done that with a special type of light-emitting diode bulbs known as RGB light strips.
As opposed to strands of individual bulbs, the strips offer the bright illumination of LED lighting with the ability to morph into dozens of different colors.
Hamilton has chosen a 24-minute soundtrack of Christmas classics and other songs to set the lights to. Using a FM radio transmitter, he can broadcast the songs on a loop for people who come by the house to sit and watch.
“We get people who come by. But being on a cul-de-sac, not that many people travel by,” he said. “I ask my wife all the time, why are we even doing this? But it’s still fun to do.”
The display is also a source of professional pride for Hamilton. As an electrician, he humorously feels the pressure to have a display that’s big and bold.
“I don’t ever want to get shown up by anybody with my lights. That would reflect poorly if I didn’t have enough as everybody else,” he said. “I can’t be an electrician and not put out anything.”
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Throughout Johnson County and the southside of Indianapolis, homeowners are embracing the spirit of Clark Griswold and decking their halls with lights, musical coordination and inflatables towering over the yard.
Countless people have gotten into the holiday mood with their decorating, with displays ranging from elegant and ordered to pure Christmas chaos.
It would be impossible to list every great light display in the area. But for those looking to pile into the car and find some of the highlights, here’s a map and listing to help lead the way.
1. 10 E. Edgewood Ave., Indianapolis
2. 362 Kindig Road, Indianapolis
3. 786 S. Runyon Road, Greenwood
4. 1247 S. Runyon Road, Greenwood
5. 5993 Darlene Drive, Greenwood
6. 3118 McIntosh Drive, Bargersville
7. 1250 Niagara Lane, Franklin
8. 597 Mallory Parkway, Franklin
9. 2100 Earlywood Drive, Franklin
10. 315 Love Ave., Greenwood
11. 1223 Easton Point Drive, Greenwood
12. 1010 Royal Oak Ct., Greenwood
13. 485 Gray Oak Lane, Greenwood
14. 51 N. Middle St., Greenwood
15. 7647 Heatherdown Ct., Indianapolis
16. 8309 Amarillo Drive, Indianapolis
17. 8243 Pleasant Tree Ct., Indianapolis
18. 8152 Lynn Drive, Indianapolis
19. 2405 Tulip Drive South, Indianapolis
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