Home & Garden
Copperfield Resident's Spectacular Lighting Display Open
November 25 2022
Over the past few weeks, outdoor holiday decorations have been going up all around town. Seemingly bursting with greater anticipation than usual, the community generally seems to be eager for some holiday cheer. After all, the holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, laughter, merriment, wonder and even magic. So, why wait until after Thanksgiving to get in the holiday spirit?
Some residents, like the Franck family in Copperfield, have been working diligently on their displays and while theirs is debuting on Black Friday, their street will be anything but black when their much-anticipated lighting display opens for the season. Since 2008, the Franck family has shared the magic of Christmas with neighbors near and far, some traveling by bus or van in droves to sneak a peek. Their display is even included as a stop in Christmas light show tours. And as their display grows each year, so do the number of spectators.
"What we like most is the joy we see in the eyes of the people that come to see the show. Especially the children. Our neighbors all come out for our first show of the year and show us great support," said Don Franck.
With an impressive 200,000 lights, 24 computer controllers and two miles of extension cords sprawling across their front yard, this lighting display goes above and beyond visual entertainment. The lights are synchronized with 26 songs that run in a 45-minute loop, flashing and dancing across the yard in whimsical patterns. When spectators arrive to the house, a modest sign in the yard indicates which radio station to tune into so that the music will play through their car speakers. Using a computer program called Light-O-Rama as the brains of the light show, songs like "Joy to the World", "Happy", "How the Astros", "Feliz Navidad", "Grinch" and others create a unique audio-visual experience that will surely get spectators in the holiday spirit.
"We saw a Miller Lite beer commercial in December 2005 that inspired me to look into how to automate a Christmas show. It took a few years of learning before we put the first show together," said Franck.
It comes as no surprise that Franck's background is in computer science. He was a systems analyst for Shell Oil prior to retirement. But this display would not be possible without the help of his family. He and his wife, Jeanne, do about 90% of the work necessary to install the display, and their adult sons, Andrew and Michael, help with components that are high off the ground.
Every year, Franck adds something new to the display, like two new songs this year including Paul Wall's new Astros song dubbed "How 'bout them 'Stros". But last year, Franck had to skip the show due to rotator cuff surgery. He has been counting down the days until opening night for a few months now and is eager for the return of his locally famous display.
Be sure to stop by to enjoy their display this holiday season! Opening night is on Friday, November 25 and the show runs Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM, then Friday and Saturday from 5:30 PM to 1:00 AM at
15923 Viney Creek Dr, Houston, TX 77095.
By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
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