Lights dance to music
CRANBERRY TWP — A digital sign counts down the days until Christmas. Lights dance to the rhythm and tempo of Christmas music.
Unique color changes on strings of bulbs on traditional holiday elements.
These are just a few of the surprises for those who visit a township family's display that includes more than 28,000 lights and more than a half a mile of extension cords.
The Baker Family Christmas Extravaganza of Lights and Music is celebrating its second year here and its fourth year overall.
It is lit from 5 to 11 p.m. daily until Jan. 4 at the Bakers' home, 502 Hedge Row Court.
As part of the festivities, the Bakers collect donations to benefit children with special needs. The donation box is in front of the Bakers' home.
All of the donations go to students at the Pace School, which provides educational and therapeutic treatment to children with autism and other special needs.
The Bakers have raised more than $2,000 over the years for the school and the Autism Center.
Early in developing the holiday light show, the Bakers decided to give back to those who been helpful in the family's journey with autism, Jennifer Baker said.
Their son, Chris, was diagnosed in 2008 with Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chris is a fifth grader at Pace in Churchill and has attended there since the first grade.
The school has helped the Bakers tremendously over the years.
“They have some wonderful people there,” said Jennifer. “From our first tour, we knew this was a school that could understand and help our son educationally and emotionally.”
With that help, Chris has been able to learn how to cope with everyday situations, build friendships, and reach his full potential, his mother said.
“There is no greater gift than to see your child happy, healthy, and succeeding. Pace has given us that gift, so we have dedicated Baker Family Christmas to doing the same for others,” she said.
Regarding the colorful light show, Wayne Baker builds all the controllers and sequences the songs while Jennifer helps with lighting the decorations.Chris pitches in by suggesting songs, helping to put up lights, and even doing voice-overs during the program.The first two years of the display it was at Wayne's parents' home near the Hankey Farms exit of Route 22.The first year, Wayne created a display of more than 16,000 lights all sequenced to music.In 2012, the Bakers moved to the Kingsbrook housing plan in Cranberry and launched the show here. It contains more than 28,000 lights, 750 dimmable channels, about 3,000 feet of extension cords.“The idea to do this was born long ago when my now husband watched a YouTube video of a display out in Ohio,” explained Jennifer. “Wayne's an electrical engineer and he's always working on something.”The Bakers met in 2007, and when Christmas came around, Wayne told his future wife about his dream.In 2010, the dream became a reality with the first Baker Family Christmas.“At that time I had no idea what I was getting myself into with these Christmas lights,” she said.Jennifer explained her husband tries to change the display a bit each year, whether it be the lighting, music choice and its synchronization, to adding different elements including changing from incandescent to LED lighting.It takes the Bakers about two weeks to put up the entire display.Wayne said synchronizing each song to the lighting takes a lot of pre-planning and up to 20 to 40 hours of work.Those traveling to see the display in their vehicles can tune into 90.3 FM to listen to the five songs that are synchronized to the music.The songs are: “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “Wizards in the Winter,” “Carol of the Bells” and “Hot Chocolate.”Of the show, Wayne said, “It's about seeing the lights and having the Christmas spirit. Everybody seems to like it and wants to know how to do it.”To view the display, take Route 19 to its intersection with Bear Run Road. Turn onto Bear Run Road.At the first stop sign, turn left to continue on Bear Run Road and make a left on Winterbrook Drive and then a right onto Hedge Row Court.For information on the Pace School, visit its website at www.paceschool.org.
