photo credit: flickr

Lights of Illinois in West Chicago

5P-10P, 27W block of Timber Lane in West Chicago

College of DuPage student Zachary Gebis, 19, who will soon transfer to a university in pursuit of an MBA degree, has designed an elegant lighting masterpiece on the 27W block of Timber Lane in West Chicago, Illinois. The display, which runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly, rain or shine, is a must-see. Gebis, a self-described "computer nerd" most enjoys seeing the kids' reactions. "I recently was taking photographs of the display, when two kids drove past the display and didn't see me and said in unison, "It's so pretty!" That made my efforts worth it."

Gebis' impressive presentation, which takes a few days to complete and one day to take down, is the result of over 100 hours of programming, offering guests a 10-minute light show.

Gebis said the environmentally friendly display has "thousands of LED lights and draws very little power compared to others using the old incandescent lights. [Visitors] are also welcome to scan the QR barcode with their cell phone at the front of the display and use the live webcam to take pictures of themselves from the display." Neighbors are impressed, including the local sheriff's department, which stopped by to admire the seasonal creation. Gebis also designed the websitewww.lightsofillinois.com with a streaming webcam.

Lights on Magnolia - Synchronized Christmas Light Display

4:30P-Midnight, 4504-4507 Magnolia Dr., Rolling Meadows (LightsOnMagnolia.com)

4 families in the 4500 bock of Magnolia Drive in Rolling Meadows have decorated their homes with lights & set it all to music. They also help families in need visitors are asked to donate non-perishable foods for the Bethel Food Pantry.  The families that are enduring hard times are very appreciative of your contributions.  Thank you for helping to brighten up their holidays! All donations directly support the Bethel Food Pantry servicing Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights and Palatine! (Light show is Weather Permitting) Inclement weather such as rain and wind may cause mechanical failures therefore the show will not operate during these conditions. 

~ 2012 is the first year that the show will span four houses in the middle of our block (4504, 4505, 4506 & 4507). 

~ Our display includes over 60,000 incandescent, LED and pixel lights. 

~ The lights are synchronized to music such as: The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, Mariah Carey, Johnny Mathis and more!

A Beautiful Jahn Christmas Tradition

5P-9P, 6900 block of West Farragut Avenue in Chicago

27-year-old entrepreneur and Web developer Tim Jahn is the creative force behind the home in the 6900 block of West Farragut Avenue in Chicago. The display can be seen nightly between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Tim Jahn whose goal is for his home to become a yearly family tradition, shared a few of the highlights of his winter wonderland. "The display features over 5,500 lights, 25 candy canes, 13 mini-trees, and over 3,000 feet of lights. You can expect to be dancing and singing along to songs from Neil Diamond, The Polar Express, Tran-Siberian Orchestra, Mariah Carey, and lots more!"

"I love seeing cars pull up and sit there for a half-hour as they watch the magic of the lights dancing to their favorite Christmas songs. Many people walked by the display during setup this year and asked if this was going to be like the Griswolds' house from 'Christmas Vacation,'" said Jahn. You can find out more at www.JahnChristmas.com and enjoy another video of Tim Jahn's Christmas home display: "Hot Chocolate" from The Polar Express.

Logan Square's Festive "Christmas House"

West Logan Boulevard & Washtenaw (Logan Square)

"Christmas House," located on West Logan Boulevard and Washtenaw and owned by Frank Lopez in Chicago's Logan Square community, has been a beloved institution for more than 25 years. The visually extraordinary display features thousands of lights; Santa and his reindeer flying on the rooftop; holiday music; Christmas trees; a smiling, bell-ringing Bugs Bunny dressed in a Santa suit; angels; and a spinning carousel with teddy bears taking a festive ride.

Lopez's next-door neighbor, Colin Beckett, said the setup for the mind-blowing creation begins with a crew that starts setting up right after Halloween. "People come by all the time. Basically, once they start lighting it up, everybody comes by to take pictures in front of it. It's a great thing to see -- it plays music, there's a lot of stuff all over the place. It's a lot of fun for everyone around here," said Beckett.

Beauty and Heart in Des Plaines

1700 block of Wicke Street in Des Plaines

A northwest suburban resident beautifully combines creative artistry with a heart for helping others this holiday season. The magical presentation includes a giant Christmas tree; hundreds of lights; a hologram Santa Claus; beloved characters Rudolph, Minnie Mouse, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Winnie the Pooh; and streaming holiday music that can be enjoyed in comfort by tuning the car radio to 107.1. Outside the property is a free-will donation box where visitors can drop off canned goods that will be distributed to an area food pantry.

Vicki Borgman, 43, of Des Plaines, Illinois, along with her husband Steve and children David and Sarah, discovered a new favorite neighborhood home that will become a family tradition.

"Since hearing about it two weeks ago, we have been by there four times with the kids and their friends. It will definitely be a tradition. I was surprised -- this man comes out of his house and gives everyone in the car a candy cane, gives his holiday greetings, and goes back inside his house. My favorite part is the free-will food pantry donation. It puts in perspective where this person's heart is. He likes to give an amazing light show to the public and remind people to give to those in need. It just makes the whole visit sweeter," said Borgman.

A Lighting Designer's Christmas Passion

Dusk till 9P (10P weekends), 8000 block of West 107th Street in Palos Hills

Nick Diaz, a 20-year old lighting designer and California Institute of the Arts student, decorates his family's home & highlight of Diaz's delightful display are the lights that perform to selected musical numbers.

"Our 2012 display is a product of a 20-year tradition started by my late Aunt Beverly. I credit her for my current passion for light and my career choice. As one can imagine, setting up most of the display is a team effort in which the entire family participates. The initial goal was to share memories within our family. However, now, our goal is to create a cheerful and magical immersive environment in which other families can make memories of their own. We're very thankful to be able to light up our little section of the city every year, and we hope that we inspire others to do the same," said Diaz.

Honorable Mentions

Along with these remarkable works of Christmas wonder, a decades-long Chicago favorite, the Sauganash/Edgebrook/Lincolnwood area, has beautiful homes decked out for the holiday, featuring Christmas trees, elves, Santa, dancing toys, twinkling lights, and the infamous three-story tree that appears to pop through the roof of one residence. Visitors can find all the seasonal fun between Devon, Pratt, Central, and the Edens Expressway (I-94).

…and

~ Waste Management Landfill XMas Tree along the Bishop Ford

~ CaraParrots.com Parrotivity at Division & Walnut in Blue Island

Story from Patricia Batson, a Chicago resident who has worked as a background extra in Hollywood, California, and Chicago, Illinois, in television and film productions "Boss," "Shameless," "The Chicago Code," "Glee," "Grey's Anatomy," "Contagion," "The Dilemma," and "Get Him to the Greek."In addition, her resume includes local ad agencies and TV and radio stations.