Fa La La La La, La La  x2

article by Christine Dedon

If you enjoyed The Village Farms holidays lights displays last year, well, you may be in for some double trouble this year.  Dueling Christmas banjos, if you will...Those gorgeous lighted arches synchronized to music are back.  And with a new Christmas lights choreographer driving the techno-steering wheel.

 

Plan on adding the Lorek's house at the corner of  Victory Court and Sapphire Way to your holiday lights drive this year.  Turn your F.M. dial to 101.1 and enjoy their 30 minute, 9 song lights show.  Tom Lorek has been mulling over putting this type of display together for the last 4 years.  After seeing his children's reaction to Tom Silvey's Senator Way musical lights show last year, the decision was as good as made.  Tom Lorek started planning and designing his own display in December 2008, and working solo, he has put in approximately 15 hours a week for a full year to get the job done. 

 

At the Lorek's house, you will find 48,000 lights and 33 mini-trees which are all held together by approximately 6,000 tie wraps.  Each of their arches, like at the Silvey/Leer home on Senator, are hand-wired lights on top of PVC pipe. 

 

Both the Silvey/Leer display on Senator and the Lorek's display were hand programmed to each and every beat of every song.  Tom Lorek says, "You learn a lot about music - how many beats a minute.  Each has to be programmed."  Lorek also hand-built and soddered together 12 electronic boxes to the side of his house to handle the load of their display.  Barb Lorek says that one of their songs is 70 amps at peak.  "I won't be able to dry my hair or cook a casserole (at that time.)" 

 

Unique to the Lorek display is a curb-side cash donation box.  All cash given will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

 

Back on Senator Way (and on F.M. channel 88.3) the original and beloved 2008 musical lights show will be back this year with some small changes in store.  Tom Silvey says, "We are trying to figure out how to put the show together so we can keep traffic moving." And there may be a few more lights and one more song added. 

 

How incredibly blessed we all are here in The Village Farms to celebrate the season in such a wonderful way.  Thanks Tom and Tom for a fabulous and unforgettable neighborhood experience!!!