'We want to share Christmas joy': Here's what goes into that huge light display in Warwick

Like most things that grow into big things, the Lewis Family Christmas Display started small.

Every year during the holiday season, Everett Lewis and his wife would load up their brood of five kids in the car to drive around and wonder at other people's Christmas lights. It was magical watching them light up, especially when driving down the big displays on what was then known as Christmas Lane in North Kingstown.

"After that, we would stop at Benny's and buy a blow mold," Everett said. "You can see some of them over there, the two little bears, the Santa and Mrs. Claus. We'd buy one a year. That's all we could afford at the time."

But now, the Lewis family puts on one of the biggest Christmas displays in Rhode Island every year.

How the Lewis family sets up their Christmas display

On the Saturday morning after Halloween, Lewis's grown kids have assembled in the front yard at 12 Shenandoah Road in Warwick, bringing friends and boyfriends. There are 32 18-gallon totes on the lawn filled with perfectly coiled, tangle-free lights, 10 blow molds, rebar, hammers, the all-important tape measure and more coming out of the garage as the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" plays in the background.

At this point, the display has grown well beyond the beloved Benny's blow molds and has been spurred on by many years of shopping the 50% off sales that start after Christmas. It's also now synched to music that viewers can tune into at 106.9 FM radio.

Putting up the display is expected to take about three weekends, Lewis said. They have to wrap the house in lights, set up a big display board that takes the help of eight people, set up the inflatables and cover the lawn with lights.

The first Saturday morning, the goal is to get the lawn done. There's a detailed map, with the exact spacing of every light strand and blow mold that's being passed around, and if anything seems like it might not quite work, the family's patriarch is quick with a solution.

But for the most part, everything goes quite smooth.

"There are studies out there that say people that set up early for Christmas are the more happy people in life," said 21-year-old Kevin Lewis. "It's just how the Christmas spirit is."

What the display supports

For Everett Lewis, the display has always been a source of joy and gets at the meaning of the holiday season.

"It's basically about giving to others," he said. "We're very fortunate for what we have, and we want to share Christmas joy."

While the display is lit, the Lewis family collects money, via a cash donation box, PayPal and Venmo at @LewisChristmas, for the Autism Project, and is earmarked to send kids to Camp Wannagoagain.

Lewis had an autistic brother who died at age 18, who loved Christmas and summer camp, so honoring his memory through the light show adds another layer of meaning. Over the years, the family has collected over $26,000.

When and how to see the display

The light display, at 12 Shenandoah Road in Warwick, will turn on Friday, Nov. 24, and run through Christmas Eve.

To be courteous to neighbors, the show turns on at 5:30 p.m. and shuts off at 8:55 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the lights stay on until 9:30 p.m. Since the music doesn't play through any speakers (again, they don't want to disturb the neighbors) remember to tune into 106.9 FM to hear the music. There are dozens of songs synched to the light show.

On some "special nights" closer to Christmas, Lewis said, a portal in one of the windows will open to the North Pole so visitors can see Santa and his elves working.

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The show is weather-permitting and is often canceled on rainy or damp nights. When that happens, the Lewises post an update on their Facebook page Lewis Family Christmas Display.

Tell The Providence Journal about your Christmas display

In the spirit of spreading the holiday joy, The Providence Journal is looking to compile a map of holiday light displays in Rhode Island. Since we are not as omnipotent as Santa, we're looking for your help in creating the map for everyone to enjoy.

If you know of a great display, please email Katie Landeck at klandeck@gannett.com with the address and a little information about the setup. We will share the map toward the end of the month and add to it through the end of the year as we find out about more.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Warwick Christmas light display takes weeks to set up. How to see it