Jim Buzard of Zelienople wipes water from the face of the Christmas displays he sets up next to the sidewalk at his home. Buzard, 72, and his wife, Vicky, have been setting up their Santa's Village display at their home on the corner of Arthur and South Milton streets for 27 years.

ZELIENOPLE — Main Street in the borough gets decked out for the Christmas season, but for some the main attraction is on a side street — Milton Street.

Jim and Vicky Buzard have been setting up their Santa’s Village display at their home on the corner of Arthur and South Milton streets for 27 years.

Jim Buzard, 72, said he has lived in Zelienople since 1963 and started the display with the hopes that children and adults would enjoy it.

“I grew up with a family of nine, and we didn’t have much, but I always liked going to see Christmas lights. I get enjoyment out of seeing children and adults laugh and be happy. It’s a way of giving back,” he said.

For the past 12 years they have collected donations to give to different charities. This year the money collected is going to the Southwest Butler County Food Cupboard.

Buzard said he expects to get about $1,200 this year. In total they have collected more than $17,000.

The money will be used to buy gift cards to give to the 125 families who receive food through the food cupboard, which serves Lancaster Township, Jackson Township, Harmony and Zelienople.

The display includes 15,000 lights and 12 displays. Most of the displays include animated characters whose head and arms move around. Some of the characters talk and one display includes a camera that streams a live video of people on the sidewalk to a small TV.

Several feature Mr. and Mrs. Claus, while there are also displays with a Nativity scene, Pooh and Tigger and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Buzard said he made nearly everything in the displays by hand, except the animated characters. Some of the characters can no longer be found in stores, though he bought about 40 spares which he has in storage.

The lights and displays go on around dusk each night and get shut off at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and the week of Christmas.

Sometimes so many people come to see them it causes a minor traffic backup, though neighbors have never complained.

“I saw fathers bring their children and now their children are bringing their children,” he said.

The displays and lights take about 100 hours to set up each year and are operational the day after Thanksgiving.

This year they will be set up until Jan. 4.