Roscoe IL
11-24-2021 3:01am

Countdown to Christmas begins Thanksgiving Eve when Mr. Christmas lights up the night

Luis Roldan has created 99 percent of the Christmas trees and festive decorations in front of his Hodges Run home in Roscoe. He has been building and adding to the display for the past 16 years. The lights go on at precisely 4:49 P.M. Thanksgiving evening.

When Luis Roldan and his wife, Debbie moved to Hodges Run subdivision in Roscoe about 16 years ago, he spent a lot of time leveling and improving his land. Each holiday season, the couple worked together creating and putting up spectacular Christmas displays in their yard.

Luis lost Debbie to cancer about six years ago. He was overcome with grief. He knew how much Debbie enjoyed decorating their home during the Christmas season and wanted him to continue. “I promised her that I would carry out her wishes. I have dedicated my life to doing this in her memory.”

And so it began. Every year he turns his large front yard into a Christmas wonderland. He builds more and more trees, some as high as 30 feet, held in place by cables.

Working eight to ten hours a day, he has created a nativity scene, an 18 foot angel in the center of the yard, Santa Claus, reindeer and sleigh, and he has installed thousands of lights.

Something new gets added each year. “I build nearly everything myself, except for inflatables,” he said.

A Christmas spectacular at the home of Luis Roldan, at Hodges Run, in Roscoe. For the past 16 years, Roldan has single-handedly built the huge display on his front lawn. This year the lights go up celebrating the Christmas season at precisely 4:49 P.M, on Thanksgiving evening.

The past year Luis has taken on the huge task (and expense) of switching to LED lighting, adding 1,500 new lights. He has also added 14 new trees.

Luis takes down the Christmas display shortly after the New Year and gets right to work brainstorming and getting ready for the next Christmas projects.

At age 82, he is active and stays busy all through the year, not just during the Christmas season. He takes care of his property, feeds birds, foxes, rabbits and raccoons and grows magnificent flowers, fruits and vegetables in the spring and summer, all the while continuing to work on new projects for the Christmas display.

Well, it’s almost show time. Luis’s eyes light up and a smile creases his face as he announces that the lights go on at precisely 4:49 P.M, Thursday, Thanksgiving evening. Every night until January 6, cars will be driving slowly through the subdivision admiring the spectacular scene. Luis said 3,500 people came to see the display last year.

“Debbie will be watching,” he said.

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