CALEDONIA — It’s that time of year when the Jamestown Lights shine bright and dance to all-time favorite holiday hits.
The Jamestown neighborhood has expanded featuring not one, but two holiday light shows this year, within different parts of the neighborhood.
Mike and Debbie Pikula’s light show will continue for its 13th season at their home in Caledonia. The fun, however, didn’t start there; they began decking the halls in 2007 at their former house in Franklin, Wis.
The large display of Holiday Lights is viewable from the comfort of your vehicle. – Credit: Emma Widmar
“When we were looking for a home – Debbie and I – she was looking for a nice home, I was looking for a stage for the light show,” said Mike.
Neighborhood traditions continue
Through the years, neighbors to the left and right of the Pikula house have joined in on the fun, decorating their backyards with unique Christmas lights. The show features a large panorama of lights made possible by multiple homeowners.
Hosts Douglas Fir and Randy Balsam can be seen singing and talking with the musical programming. – Credit: Emma Widmar
Back again to lead the show is “Douglas Fir”, the host and personality of the show.
He’ll be accompanied by “Randy Balsam” the great guitar player, who is back for his second year.
New this year are peace pipes. They are located near the pond on the right side of Taurus Drive, residing in Chris Smith’s backyard. The hardware in the yard belongs to Smith, but Pikula was able to make the peace pipes come alive.
“If you ever watched a Greek Christmas Light Fight, there was a family on there called the Peace family. They made these little stakes with five lights that jumped up and down,” said Mike about the lights. “From 500 feet away from you – you can’t see those little things going up and down so I turned them into pipes that are two feet tall.”
Mike, an electrical engineer, curates the music selection to accompany the light show, which he streams on 97.7 FM.
When visiting the show, tune your car’s radio to the channel, sit back and watch the hour-long holiday program.
When you’ve safely stopped your vehicle along the side of the road, don’t forget to tune in on your car’s radio to the proper station at each location. – Credit: Emma Widmar
Directions to Pikula’s Jamestown Lights
The Jamestown Lights are located at 6509 Williamsburg Way, one block east and two blocks south from the roundabout of Highway 38 and Highway K in Racine County.
Make the first right after going east through the roundabout to Taurus Drive, then head south on Taurus Driver into the Jamestown subdivision. As you drive between the ponds, look to your left and right. There you will see your entertainment for the night.
Family-friendly hosts and music accompany this labor of love. – Credit: Emma Widmar
Viewers can take in as much or as little as they desire. Drivers should be considerate of the traffic density. The show plays Sundays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The family-friendly shows run through Jan. 1.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Smith about the support they receive from the community.
Inspiring youth
The dazzling display also caught the attention of Grayson Kirchenberg when he was just 3 years old. His parents, who own a home within the Jamestown neighborhood, began visiting the lights and making it a holiday tradition when he was a young boy.
“He was asking questions when he was 3. We reached out to Mike on Facebook. He invited us over so he (Grayson) could see it (the lights) and explain it (how it works) because I had no idea how this stuff works,” said Grayson’s father, Dan Kirchenberg.
Grayson Kirchenberg was just three years old when he began asking questions about the Jamestown Lights in his neighborhood. – Credit: Emma Widmar
From there, Mike began sharing his passion each holiday season with his young neighbor. Not only has Grayson programmed a few songs this year for the show, but this has also inspired Grayson to start decorating his own house with lights and music.
Years ago, Grayson started with a show-box. Now, the 13-year-old has graduated to programming songs to lights as Pikula does.
Now, with the help of a friend and mentor, Grayson’s home is dazzling viewers as well. – Credit: Emma Widmar
“Mike has been his mentor, he just took him under his wing, and we became great friends. The two of them work together so well,” said Dan.
This year you can also visit Grayson’s display at the Kirchenberg house at 6636 Heritage Ave. in the Jamestown neighborhood for another great show. Dial those radios to 99.7 FM so you can hear the music specially curated for these lights. Drivers should note that it is best to stay on the south side of the road for optimal viewing. The show hours are the same throughout the Jamestown neighborhood. Want to learn more? Visit the Heritage Ave. Holiday Light Show Facebook page for additional details.
“It’s really special for him to put something on like this for everyone and not ask for anything,” said Grayson’s dad. “He (Mike) just enjoys it and putting the show on for people.”
Don’t forget to change the radio station between shows. – Credit: Emma Widmar
‘Parking’ vs. ‘standing’ or ‘stopping’
For safety reasons, the Caledonia Police Department requests that attendees do not park on Taurus Drive when visiting the main show.
“’No Parking’ means parking and leaving the vehicle. As long as you remain inside your vehicle you can stay there to watch the show. That is considered ‘standing’ or ‘stopping’,” says the Caledonia Police Department. Turn off your headlights as a courtesy to other viewers. Keep the kids inside the car, and do not park or stop facing traffic.
Please drive safely and enjoy the expansion of this year’s show.
The Racine County Eye, which includes the Kenosha Lens, has a great celebrations section to keep you updated on community-wide events and other festivities. Subscribe today to stay up-to-date with local news.
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