Display draws hundreds of viewers every night
By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Looking for something to do to get into the holiday spirit? Well, if you have a free evening in December, Richard and Alice Kloewer would love it if you stopped by to see their Christmas display.
If you happen to be by these Erickson Tribune readers’ house, just eight miles from the Wind Crest Welcome Center, you’ll see it. In fact, it would be difficult to miss.
It’s the house with over 7,000 twinkle lights. And then there’s the model trains in the front yard, usually about ten going at a time, traveling on over 1,200 feet of model train tracks.
A celebration unlike any other
“It is a nice way to celebrate the season,” Alice said of the display. What started as a couple of ornaments and a strand of lights as a small commemoration for their first-born grandchild, grew into a display of enormous proportion. Twenty-four years later, the display includes anything Christmas and holiday related.
Alice said, “No matter where we go, we’re looking for something new. I’m not always sure if things will work, but when we see something, my husband knows instantly” if it’s right for the display.
Personal favorites
The display is so popular because of the diversity of decorations, Richard said, “Trains are my hobby. I belong to a few train clubs, but there is something here for everybody. Harley Davidson models, Englewood cheerleader dolls—If you can name it, we probably have it.”
Richard said, “Kids always ask where their favorite things are displayed, but we try to change it up, and move the decorations around. The trains are a huge hit, everyone seems to like them. You have to get out and see it. I guess it’s the detail.”
“The manger scene is always the centerpiece for me,” Alice said.