For many, packing the kids in the family car and driving around to look at Christmas lights is a tradition this time of year. There’s one magical Christmas light display on Lady’s Island that is providing lots of holiday cheer as it dazzles visitors of all ages.
It’s the Cadd family, and they’re at it again. You know it’s Christmas time in Beaufort SC when…..
For the past several years, David and Amanda Cadd have been setting up a display at their house that has people coming to see it from all over. After several years on James F. Byrnes Drive in Royal Pines on the island, the family moved a short way down the road to a larger property a few years ago.
“We needed more room for all of this,” David said with a smile. “My wife wants even more still, and she’ll get it, too”
Located off of Springfield Road at the north end of the island just off of Sams Point Road, the cul de sac they call home comes alive at Christmas time. map
Seeing so much fun over the holidays, even the neighbors get involved; and each of the three homes on the street have something special.
“When we moved here a couple of years ago, we didn’t set up the display because we didn’t want to freak the neighbors out,” David said. “They got involved, too, and it’s lots of fun.”
We’re glad they did.
A sign along the street asks folks to ‘park along the main road’ and walk down the secondary road to see the lights. After you get out of your car, the entry way is quite grand and you’ll ooh and awe as you walk to the house.
At the end of the street is the Cadd’s, and their Christmas light display is quite massive.
In the walk through display, kids are greeted by Anna & Elsa, Frosty, Garfield, Rudolph, the Grinch, Yukon Cornelius and dozens of other characters they know and love; all among a lighted winter wonderland complete with a snow machine and a moving lifelike Santa sitting on his chair.
There’s Christmas music playing outside and the lights are all synchronized to the songs. The playlist includes Jingle Bells, It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas and Music Box Dancer, among others.
If you’ve visited in the past, you may want to go back again. They’ve added several new displays since last Christmas, including another snow machine, and a very nice Santa sleigh with moving reindeer, and several more.
We love that people enjoy this and the looks on the youngsters’ faces are priceless,” David said. “Christmas is magical.”
What does it take?
It takes quite a bit to set it all up too. David says they work for several weeks to put it all together and usually start before Halloween.
In fact, it takes tens of thousands of lights, over 1,500 feet of extension cords, and over 200 hours to set it all up.
“Next year will be even bigger,” David said as he pointed to a large piece of his property to the right of their house that, surprisingly, has no lights on it. “Amanda wants to grow it even bigger and start spreading out to the other side too.”
What about their electric bill?
“It only goes up with an increase of about $360 for the season, total,” David said.
A small price to pay for a Christmas gift that makes so many people happy each year.
The light display will be up through December 29th.
Thank you, David and Amanda. We appreciate your love of Christmas, and your desire to share it with all of Beaufort.
Merry Christmas.
Take a video tour of the Cadd’s Christmas light display below, and keep reading to check out our photo gallery too.
Find some fun Beaufort SC holiday events here.
