LEROY — Down a narrow country road named Tee Robe in Leroy, is a house with lights so bright many come to see.
50,000 lights decorate the Roy family's lawn. Each one "dances" to the beat of a song. Cars drive up, and turn the radio to a specific station.
"Just about everything in the yard is DIY, I got garden edging, PVC pipe, and rebar, it's just a matter of putting everything the way you want it to be, and making the lights dance to the song" David Roy said.
Roy is the wizard behind the curtain. In 2014 he wanted to do something for his granddaughter Emmie.
"I remember my parents packing us all In the car and we would go anywhere and everywhere to see all of the lights, and you don't see a whole lot of that anymore" Roy said.
Each light bulb has a computer chip connected by wires, those wires run back to his desk top. He then uses a software that makes the magic happen.
"In a nut shell, every light has to be told what to do, and when to do it" Roy said.
The show consist of 26 songs. The programming started in January.
"You're looking at roughly 3-4 hours per 10 seconds of a song, so the programming can be intense. Naturally the more props you put out, the more lights you put out, the more programming needed. So it's a year long process" Roy said.
Roy says the most asked question is something you're probably wondering as well, "what about the electric bill?"
Well, his answer is semi-complicated.
"To be honest with you, all of these lights are ran on 12 volt. There's power supply throughout the yard. I've got 16 computer boards, each one has it's own power supply. Those power supply run off 110 volt, but are converted to 12 volt. So honestly my light bill doesn't go anywhere" Roy explained.
To see the lights, it is free, but there is a drop box for donations. All donations go to St. Jude's. The last night for the lights will be on Christmas. They run from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Other homes being reported to do something similar include:
- 319 Lucerne drive in Iberia Parish
- 500 block of Beverly Dr. in Bendel, Lafayette Parish
- 1000 block of Bacon Rd. in St. Martinville
- 200 block of Estate Dr. off of Loreauville rd.
If you know of any other homes, please share in the comments on Facebook!
