Carlson Light Display – Christmas Light Show to Music

UPDATES WILL BE POSTED HERE ABOUT OUR 2023 CHRISTMAS LIGHT SHOW to music located in Harker Heights, Texas (Fort Hood area).

URGENT! Read the Know Before You Go Section BEFORE coming out! WE have had way too many incidents. If you aren’t going to read this section, DO NOT COME OUT!

Make sure to bookmark this page to keep up with the latest news. Use the menu below to jump to the section you are looking for:

Products We Use / Recommend

If you follow us on TikTok or Facebook, you will see us post videos and pictures of items we use in the show/display or inside the house. You can find the links to those items here. Just FYI, they are affiliate links, so we earn a small commission if you purchase the item through the link at absolutely no extra cost to you =)

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

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FACEBOOK PAGE: Facebook keeps removing our posts, marking them as SPAM, and threatening to delete our personal accounts; therefore, we will no longer utilize the Facebook page. You can follow Bridget’s personal profile and TikTok for updates or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Carlson Light Display
TIKTOK: @CarlsonLights (not active, used as a backup) & @nuttyhiker (I will be posting our Christmas content on this one from now on and will also go live from here)

See our video from last year: 2021 Carlson Christmas Light Show Video (I am still working on the 2022 show)

Know Before You Go! Read this BEFORE coming out!

It is only December 4th, and we have had the worst year yet in the 13 years we have been doing this with people leaving trash, just dropping off their kids and using our light show as a babysitter, throwing cigarettes under our truck, leaning on our (and neighbor) vehicles that are parked in the street, entering the driveway area and even worse coming up to our porch, not turning off headlights, and much more. If this continues, we will shut the show down for the season. We should not have to babysit adults.

We have cameras set up that capture every inch of our property and our neighbors across the street so we can catch those who are leaving trash and causing destruction of property or who are trespassing.

With all that said, the following should be common sense, but we have come to the conclusion we need to make sure this is in black and white so there is no confusion:

PARKING – DO NOT park directly in front of the house on our side of the street OR directly across the street in front of the walk-up viewing area, in the middle of the street, in front of driveways, or diagonally on corners. You can also park at Skipcha Elementary and walk down if parking along the street is unavailable. The seating area will be on the corner of the lawn at our neighbor’s house across the street from us (DO NOT park in front of this area, as you will block the view of those who walk up). They are our biggest supporters, so DO NOT leave trash behind, and please respect their property.
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📸 PHOTO – OP GINGERBREAD YARD: New this year, we have transformed the photo area into a walk-in Gingerbread yard with three massive blowups that make for a great backdrop, complete with photography lighting (only on when the photo op area is open). The Photo Op area will be open most weekends (see website for tentative schedule). If the gate is closed, do not jump the fence or attempt to enter in any way. We have motion detectors, security cameras, and a strict No Trespassing policy. We spent a lot of time and money putting this together; please be respectful of our hard work If the gate is closed, feel free to stand under the arch for pictures. The Grinch or a Gingerbread Man will be available for photos when it is open. All minors will need to be accompanied by an adult. NO PETS will be allowed on the property for safety and liability reasons. Please see the photo op section for complete details of the Gingerbread Village Photo Op Area rules.
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WALK UP VIEWING AREA (CLOSED DEC 22 & DEC 24 DUE TO SATURATED GROUND! DO NOT GO ONTO OUR NEIGHBORS PROPERTY AS IT WILL BE CONSIDERED TRESPASSING DURING THESE DATES) is directly across the street at our neighbor’s house. On weekends, we will try to have cones set up. Please stay to the Tundra side of their tree (see below if you need a visual). You can park at Skipcha Elementary and walk down (about a 1/4 mile walk). If you walk up, please bring a radio to listen to the music and be respectful of our neighbors by packing out everything you pack in (take your trash with you). We are a busy street this time of year, so please do not stand in the street or allow children to play in the street.
📟 We will have the speaker on for most Friday and Saturday night shows unless otherwise noted.
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PETS – I can’t believe we actually have to post this, but since we are only nine days in and, for the first time in 13 years, we have now had this happen…If you decide to bring your pet with you, KEEP THEM ON A LEASH AND OFF OF PEOPLES PROPERTY!!!! The leash needs to be 6ft or shorter, and you must be in control of them at all times; they should not leave your side or interfere with others. PICK UP AFTER YOUR PET, and take their waste with you! DO NOT allow your pet to run free in our neighbor’s yard, our yard, or in the street. Like most cities, Harker Heights does have a leash law, and you are not special, despite what your Mama told you. PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE WALK UP VIEWING AREA OR IN THE PHOTO OP AREA. Keep them in the street area or in your vehicle with you. You can thank the person who decided to bring their dog and allow it to run up to people, run all over the yard, get up in kid’s faces, and force families to leave. For liability reasons, they are no longer allowed on our property or our neighbor’s property in the walk-up viewing area.
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✅ Do NOT block driveways
✅ Do not park directly in front of the house on our side of the street OR directly across the street as that is the walk-up viewing area
✅ Do not walk into the yard or driveway (or allow your kids to). We have so many trip hazards and things that could easily pierce you, not only do you risk damaging our property but also causing serious injury to yourself. One year, we had a kid scratch our truck to the tune of $700. Security cameras are in use.
✅ Do not come to our porch unless you are dropping something off or we are expecting you. We are tired of having our movies and family time interrupted by the motion detector because people want to take pictures and video up on our porch. The porch is boring, you will get better pictures from the street.
✅ Do not lean or allow your children to lean on the fencing. They are used for decoration only and have rebar holding them up.
✅ Do not honk your horn at those parked or blocking your view! Be mindful of our neighbors and those around you. We will shut off the show if this happens and it will not restart until the next show time.
✅ TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS once you have parked. Leaving them on blinds others trying to watch, and our neighbors don’t appreciate the extra lighting.
✅ The light show is NOT your babysitter. Do not drop your kids off and leave! If you need a babysitter, please get in touch with us before dropping them off. We require an upfront payment of $1000 per hour per kid. We charge $100 per minute/ per kid for every minute you are late. Cash only.
✅ Do not lean on vehicles that are not yours or allow your children to crawl on vehicles that do not belong to you (I can’t believe I have to put this on here).
✅ Take all trash and cigarette butts with you! Stop throwing them under our vehicles, in the road, and in our neighbor’s yard. We are not your trash can!
✅ We have a 20ft Pixel Mega Tree. Due to its size, the further away you are, the better it will look. The best viewing will be for those parked on Tundra.
✅ Please be mindful of our neighbors across the street. They are one of our biggest supporters here in the neighborhood. Don’t be “that guy” that blocks their driveway where they cannot get in or out or leave your trash in their yard. If their driveway gets blocked, we will shut off the show
✅ Smile! You are on camera! Security cameras are in use for the protection of our property.
✅ We now have a microphone that allows us to speak over the music in real time. Don’t be the vehicle/person who must be called out for being inconsiderate.

LATEST NEWS FOR THE 2023 Christmas Light Show

IF WE HAVE TO CANCEL OR DELAY A SHOW, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED HERE. Always check before coming out. Our Facebook Page is under attack by Facebook, and they are removing posts stating they are SPAM and threatening to delete our personal accounts and any pages attached to them. We will no longer be posting on our Facebook Page because of this. You can, however, follow Bridget’s page, and she will post there as she can.

December 24: CHRISTMAS EVE SHOW IS A GO!

SHOWTIMES: 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm. HOWEVER, the walk-up viewing area will be CLOSED (read more about that below).
LIVE BROADCAST: I will go live on my TikTok (@nuttyhiker) AND YouTube for the 6pm show for those who would like to view the show but not deal with the traffic or who live out of the area.
GRINCH APPEARANCE: The Grinch will be available for pictures in front of the JOY sign in the driveway (there will be no photography lighting set up) at random times between 6pm-9pm (but should be there for the entire length of the 6pm show). Do not enter the driveway area unless you see him out there.
WALK-UP VIEWING AREA UPDATE: The walk-up viewing area will be CLOSED due to ground saturation. DO NOT STAND OR ENTER OUR NEIGHBORS LAWN. There will be cones set up in the street in front of the walkup viewing area for the 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm shows, but you stand in the street at your own risk (ONLY STAND ON THE CONCRETE, DO NOT STAND IN THEIR YARD). The area that is blocked off has VERY limited space. DO NOT GO ONTO OUR NEIGHBORS’ LAWN OR BLOCK TRAFFIC; we will shut off the show. A speaker will also be out from 6pm-9pm. Pickup trucks, this will be your night to shine! Consider carpooling if you and your friends are coming out, especially if you have a truck where you can stand in the bed of the truck to watch the show. Extra cars can park at Skipcha and walk down to the truck.
CHRISTMAS CARDS: We would still love a Christmas card! We will have some with us tonight to exchange, or you can drop it off in the donation/card box at the end of the driveway (leave your address if you’d like one back from us).
Please see the Know Before You Go section above before coming out.

December 22: WE WILL HAVE A SHOW TONIGHT AND CHRISTMAS EVE!

Mother Nature is giving us an early Christmas Present! The forecast shows no rain this evening, so we will have a 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm AND 10pm show!
Tomorrow (Saturday) still looks like a washout with no show.
Sunday (Christmas Eve), it looks like the rain will end in the morning, allowing us to have a 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm show.
GRINCH APPEARANCE: The Grinch is expected to make an appearance tonight and on Christmas Eve (no set time). The Photo Op area will be closed due to ground saturation, but pictures can be taken with the Grinch in front of the JOY sign in the driveway (there will be no photography lighting set up, so make sure to bring flashlights or other lighting for the best pictures).
WALK UP VIEWING AREA UPDATE: The walkup viewing area will be CLOSED on both days; again, this is due to ground saturation. We do not want our neighbor’s lawn to get torn up. We will have cones set up in the street in front of the walkup viewing area for the 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm shows both nights, but you stand in the street at your own risk. DO NOT GO ONTO OUR NEIGHBORS’ LAWN; we will shut off the show. A speaker will also be out from 6pm-9pm both nights. AGAIN DO NOT STAND ON OUR NEIGHBORS LAWN. Please stay in your cars. Pickup trucks, this will be your night(s) to shine! Consider carpooling if you and friends are coming out, especially if you have a truck where you can stand in the bed of the truck to watch the show. Extra cars can park at skipcha and walk down to the truck.
Oh hey, we would still love a Christmas card! We will have some with us tonight and Christmas Eve to exchange or you can drop it off in the donation/card box at the end of the driveway (leave your address if you’d like one back from us).
And, of course, see the Know Before You Go section above before coming out.

December 21: Show Update for December 21, 22, 23, and 24th!

December 21st (tonight): The show will go scheduled as planned, with show times at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm. The walk-up viewing area WILL BE CLOSED so our neighbor’s yard doesn’t get torn up; remain in your vehicles. If we notice people in their yard OR if the lights start flickering to where we think stuff may get damaged, the show will be turned off for the night and I will update this post. You may park in front of the walk up viewing area since it will not be utilized tonight. DO NOT BLOCK DRIVEWAYS, not even an inch!
December 22nd: No Show due to weather
December 23rd: No Show due to weather
December 24th: I will go live from my TikTok (@nuttyhiker, as I can’t go live from FB due to copyright issues from the songs playing) at 6pm for a show. As of right now, I don’t know if we will have additional shows (this depends on the weather, even if it’s raining bat shit crazy I will be out there live for all of you and we will hope that the lights behave lol). If we do, the walk-up viewing area will be CLOSED again due to the ground being saturated, and we do not want our neighbor’s lawn torn up. I think I can go live from YouTube as well for those that don’t have TikTok, so we may try and do both my YT is @nuttyhikerofficial

December 20: Due to Mother Nature trying to cancel this weekend’s shows. We are going to go ahead and add an 8pm AND 9pm show onto tonight and tomorrow (Thursday) as it appears the rain may hold off tomorrow. It is still not looking good for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you MUST see the show before Christmas, I suggest coming tonight. The weather forecast for tomorrow keeps changing from rain to no rain to rain and back again.

December 19: It looks like Mother Nature will not let up. With the weather outlook for this weekend and Christmas Eve, there will be no shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Christmas Eve Sunday. If you want to see the show BEFORE Christmas, plan to come out tonight at 6 pm or 7 pm or on Wednesday at 6 pm or 7 pm. If the weather changes for this weekend and we are able to have a show, we will announce it on Bridget’s Facebook, so please make sure you are following her. You can also follow her on TikTok, as that is where she will go live during shows. She does plan to do a live show either tonight or Wednesday with the whole show for those that are not in the area or cannot make it out. She will also do a live show Christmas Eve if the rain lets up enough where we can turn the show on.

December 16: The show will run as scheduled with showtimes at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm , and 9pm. This might be the last weekend the show runs before Christmas if the weather outlook does not change for next weekend which currently states it is supposed to start raining Thursday and not stop until Monday. That would mean no show on Christmas Eve either! Yikes! We will have the Grinch out tonight from 6pm-9pm, please see my Facebook post for more details. If you are coming out, read the know before you go section above before heading this way!!!! I cannot stress this enough!
December 14: The weather for tomorrow’s show (Friday, Dec 15) isn’t looking good. It looks like it is supposed to rain all day and into the night, which means standing water and super wet conditions that don’t mix well with electricity. We will more than likely have to cancel tomorrow’s show. Please make sure to follow Bridget’s Facebook, as she will post an update there as soon as we know more, as we will not be near a computer to update the website.
December 11: We now have new show times that begin December 12th. Please see the show times schedule below. Also, our posts are now being deleted by Facebook as SPAM (I am sure the trolls we have pissed off have led to them further attacking us and have something to do with it). All updates from here on out, will be posted here and sent to our mailing list (which you can join above).

DROP OFF A CHRISTMAS CARD WHILE YOU’RE HERE:

Bridget loves collecting Christmas cards from our family, friends, and visitors every year and assembles them into a book she displays during the holidays. We have a Christmas Card drop box at the end of the driveway (where the driveway & yard meet) where you can leave us a Christmas card from yourself or your family. Just pull the knob on the door to access the slot to drop it in (please make sure to close the door after). If you put a return address, Bridget will mail you one back! We also love getting notes, letters, and drawings =) Or you can mail a Christmas card to us, and we will send one back:

The 2021 crowd really came through and still holds the record at 43 cards! Can the 2023 crowd beat this record?!

Donations

If you wish to make a donation directly to us to help offset the costs of all the lights and props, you can do so through Cash App, PayPal, or buy an item off of our Amazon Wishlist. If you would like to make a donation to a charity in our honor, we ask that you make a donation to Disabled American Veterans.

The 2022 donations helped us to change out the fencing for easier storage every year (it is also much lighter than the wood fencing we were using and takes up way less space) =) We aim to replace the roof lights with pixel lights this coming year. Doing this will allow us to leave those lights up year-round so Jerry won’t have to get on the roof yearly and save time. Both are important if we plan to keep the show going after this year while we spend the next 3-4 years being 3/4 time Nomads.

ABOUT OUR 2023 CHRISTMAS LIGHT SHOW:

Feel free to walk or drive by! Our Christmas light show is roughly 53 minutes long this year. We have an intermission between showtimes where the lights are steady on with no music.

2023 Christmas Light Show Dates:

December 1-31

2023 Christmas Light Show Times:

NEW AS OF DECEMBER 11th SINCE PEOPLE CAN’T BEHAVE

Dec 1 – 21
Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs: 6pm & 7pm (we are adding a 8pm and 9pm show to Dec 20 and 21)
Friday & Saturday: 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm
Dec 22, 23, 24 & 25
THE CURRENT WEATHER FORECAST SHOWS RAIN ON ALL THESE DAYS, WHICH MEANS WE MAY NOT HAVE A SINGLE SHOW DURING THESE DAYS! PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING MY FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES!
6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm
Dec 26 -31
6pm & 7pm

Location

THE SHOW HAS ENDED FOR THE YEAR. See our plans for upcoming years.

Cost:

We keep getting asked how much it costs to attend. Guys, we are just a house in a regular ole’ subdivision that loves Christmas lights and tries to be the Griswolds every year (we have been lovingly called the Texas Griswolds by Friends and family and due to the fact that we had an actual Griswold moment one year when we did the neighborhood only showing. We went to plug in to turn everything on, and nothing happened. After about 10 minutes, I walked inside again and looked at the wall; the light switch that controlled the outlet was off). It’s FREE y’all =)

2023 Christmas Music Lineup:

Our song lineup varies from year to year. Most songs will be Christmas-related, but we always try to include a religious song, a funny/parody song, a popular song of the year (or one that is trending on social media), and typically a rock song. This year, we are sticking to mostly Christmas songs with one rock song thrown in.

<<OUR INTRO>>
Countdown
Talking Trees
Christmas Vacation
Frosty the Snowman
It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas
Grinch
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Let It Go
Mary Did You Know
Polar Express
Thunderstruck (by AC/DC, be forewarned this has a brief moment on the MEGA tree that shows a silhouette of a stripper. We’ve seen a lot worse in children’s cartoons and movies, so we chose to leave it in)
Santa Claus is Back in Town
Blue Christmas
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Silent Night
White Christmas
The House on Christmas Street
Talking Tree End of Show
<<7 Minute Intermission before next show, lights will be stead on for pictures>>

Radio Station For Music

88.1 FM

Walk-Up Viewing Area

(CLOSED DEC 22 & DEC 24 DUE TO SATURATED GROUND. DO NOT GO ONTO OUR NEIGHBOR’S PROPERTY AS IT WILL BE CONSIDERED TRESPASSING DURING THESE DATES) We now have a dedicated walk-up viewing area across the street from us in our neighbor’s yard. Ensure to stay to the Tundra side of the tree in their yard (see picture below for viewing area). Do not enter their driveway or other areas of their yard, and remember to take all trash with you. During the weekends, we plan to set up cones in hopes it will keep people from parking directly in front of it. You must bring a handheld radio as no speaker will be set up outside during the weekdays. We will have a speaker set up, weather permitting, on Friday and Saturday nights.

Parking

Parking along the street is limited; if you come during a busy time, be prepared to park at the school and walk down. Do not park in front of our house on our side of the street OR directly across the street in front of the viewing area. Also, once you are parked, TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS! I cannot stress this enough! Do not block driveways, park on corners, or in the middle of the street. If you can not find parking, please park at Skipcha Elementary and walk down to the Walk Up Viewing Area.

GINGERBREAD YARD PHOTO OP INFO

New this year, we have a walk-in Gingerbread Yard Photo Opportunity that will be open on the weekends as we have time available to go out there. You are free to take pictures any time in front of the display outside of the front fencing area where the arch is. DO NOT trespass on our neighbor’s lawn to get a better view from the side or attempt to enter the area. We are watching the cameras and have motion alarms set up. If you are caught trespassing, we will press charges and immediately shut the show off. You will have your pictures plastered on our Facebook. Don’t be THAT person. (Can you tell what we have to deal with every year, lol).

If the gate is closed or you do not see us set up next to it, the photo op area is closed. Do not enter any area inside the fenced-in area or climb on the retaining wall. This is considered trespassing, and we will press charges (high-resolution security cameras and motion detectors are in use and will be used to prosecute individuals caught trespassing or damaging our property).

TENTATIVE DAYS/HOURS Subject to change, always check before coming out:
During these times, either the Grinch or a Gingerbread man will be present with additional lighting to ensure you get the perfect picture.

December 1: 6pm – 8pm
December 2: 7pm – 8pm
December 7: 8pm – 9pm
December 8: 6pm – 9pm
December 16: 6pm – 9pm
December 22: 6pm – 9pm (due to current ground saturation, the photo op area will not be open, but the Grinch will be out sporadically through the night for pictures in front of the JOY sign)
December 24: The Grinch will be out sporadically through the night, we have no set time as he will be spending time with his family.

PHOTO OP RULES:

Anyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult
Stay out of fenced-in areas that contain the blowups.
Due to the size of the photo op area, only one family is allowed at a time inside the gated area; please wait outside the gated area for your turn. If you need someone from another family to come in to take a picture for you, that is completely fine. We just want to ensure every family has the room they need to get the best picture possible.
Pets are not allowed on our property for safety and liability reasons.
Do not walk on the retaining wall or walk into our next-door neighbor’s yard.
Do not lean on or allow your children to swing on the fencing.
Photo Op Area is for personal use only. Professional photography and drone photography are not allowed.
If the Gate is closed, the Photo Op Area is closed. Do not enter photo op area when closed. We have a strict no trespassing policy as well as cameras and motion detectors set up. Don’t be the person who ruins it for everyone; we will press charges and plaster your face on social media. We spent a lot of time and money putting this together this year. You may, however, take pictures under the arch when the gate is closed.

CARLSON LIGHT DISPLAY FAQs

Past Years Videos

2019 || 2020 || 2021

Contact Us

Please use the form below if you need to contact us. If you are asking a question that has been answered already on this page, you will not receive a reply as it is just too time-consuming constantly having to repeat ourselves when the information is already available (sorry for that, but we can get up to 100 emails a day). If you have a comment or suggestion about the show, please leave it using the COMMENT form at the bottom of this page instead of using the contact form below:

Free Holiday Checklists

Bridget is a checklistoholic (is that a word) and created these lists about ten years ago to help her stay organized during the holiday season madness. It includes a Christmas Card List (so you know who you have sent a card to and/or collect addresses), a gift list shopping checklist (where you can list who you are buying for, along with what was bought and price), and finally a Christmas Gift Wish List (Bridget used this to have her kids fill out; it includes a spot for I want, I need, I’ll Wear, and I’ll Read).

If you want to show your thanks, give her a follow on both her professional and personal Facebook pages.

Holiday Checklists

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