Many long-standing holiday light displays may be found around the state of Oregon, and Portland’s Peacock Lane is a popular classic.
One home’s light show, Schilling Lights on Larkin Milwaukie, offers something unique, though: 50,000 lights that dance in time with holiday music that guests can request.
Ask for Frank Sinatra’s version of Jingle Bells, for example, and watch as glowing candy canes flash red and white stripes in time with the song.
On top of the garage, a lighted Santa hat is personified with eyes and a moving mouth that seems to be singing along.
The enormous garage grid is the display’s main attraction. It uses 19,000 lights to cover the front of a two-car garage and displays hypnotic images, dancing cartoon characters, and scenes from films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
On December 9, 2024, the Schilling Lights on Lark Christmas light show took place at 15909 S.E. Lark Ave. in Milwaukie, Oregon.OregonLive/The Oregonian | Teresa Mahoney
On December 9, 2024, the Schilling Lights on Lark Christmas light show took place at 15909 S.E. Lark Ave. in Milwaukie, Oregon.OregonLive/The Oregonian | Teresa Mahoney
According to Matt Schilling, the homeowner and mastermind behind the show at 15909 S.E. Lark Ave., it has just been an obsession.
Schilling claimed to have enjoyed Christmas lights all of his life and to have been grateful to his parents for fostering his passion. He was raised in the small eastern Oregon town of Hermiston, where he would assist his parents in lighting their home as a child and return to do the same while attending college.
“I’m going to go all out once I have my own house,” he stated.
Schilling stated that he had been purchasing 10,000 bulbs year since purchasing his house in 2017.
He never looked back after discovering lights in 2019 that he could program to music.
To learn how to set up all the electrical components and how to utilize free software called xLights to sync the lights to music, he spent time studying YouTube videos and participating in online communities for Christmas lights.
Free software called xLights is used by Schilling Lights on Lark in Milwaukie to synchronize the lights with music.With thanks to Matt Schilling
Schilling stated that the process involves selecting a song, loading it, and then applying various effects to various objects or props in your yard to make them move in time with the music. I love playing around with things like this since technology simply seems to click with me.
Visitors can tune to 88.1 FM and listen to the same synchronized tunes from the comfort of their car in addition to hearing music playing loudly at the show.
In my garage, I have an FM transmitter that I can control to broadcast to the appropriate station. It is only permitted within a mile or two of the neighborhood due of its short-term radio frequency. Schilling added, “So you can’t go very far and it’s gone.”
Additionally, guests can request a song by scanning a QR code displayed on a TV screen at the main gate. Over 100 tracks are available for selection.
What about Schilling’s power bill?
He answered, “It’s not that bad.” Yes, it does increase somewhat given the number of lights I have—50,000—but they are only about 10% bright. They would consume a lot of electricity and power if they were operating at 100%.
Schilling said he works in accounting for New Seasons grocery store, but the lights are always on his mind.
How much time does he spend thinking about the display? All waking hours, he laughed. It is constantly on the brain. Any spare moment I have, I m fixing a song or adding something that people would like to see.
Schilling also has light displays for Halloween, New Year s and Veterans Day and is involved in various community events.
His lights have been part of Portland sStarlight Parade, Milwaukie sPorchfestconcert series, Milwaukie sBing in the New Yearcherry drop event and he hostsdonation eventsforLoveOne, a nonprofit that serves people experiencing homelessness in Clackamas County.
I love when people tag and share what they re viewing, Schilling said. Seeing the joy on people s faces […] that s why I do it.
Schilling Lights on Lark: 15909 S.E. Lark Ave., Milwaukie, 5-10 p.m. nightly through Dec. 25. The New Year s light show begins Dec. 26. Song requests available until Jan. 12.
Stay up to date on all the holiday lights shows onInstagram. To keep traffic flowing, Schilling offers some reminders in a recent Instagram post:
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the address in two instances of the story. It listed 5909 S.E. Lark Ave., Milwaukie. The correct address is 15909 S.E. Lark Ave., Milwaukie.The story has been updated.
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