(Radio Iowa) – One of southwest Iowa’s largest and most popular holiday light displays will be switched on tomorrow (Saturday) night for the first time this season. After months of preparation, the Baird family display in Montgomery County is ready to brighten the skies and spirits of passers by. It features a large collection of illuminated animated characters, buildings and vehicles. Chris Baird is the son of the late Jack Baird, who spearheaded the display for more than 50 years. Baird says it started small and blossomed over the decades.

“Originally, my grandfather brought home some Christmas lights,” Baird says. “They were hung on the fence near the house. Us kids enjoyed them. It just kind of kept expanding from there. I got into elementary and junior high, and I started putting up more and more Christmas lights, and people started coming by. I think that’s when the traditional started of the Baird Christmas light farm.” Baird says the family elected to continue the tradition following Jack Baird’s passing on Christmas Day of 2022.

“That was one of the things that we promised to him,” he says, “because we knew it was so important to both him and my mom from the early years when we started making it bigger and bigger, and it was important to our family. I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t do it. For as many years as we’ve been doing it now, it’s just been part of our family.” Baird says one of the challenges is keeping the display fresh each year. “We’ve got several new moving figurines this year,” Baird says. “I guess people have to watch for them so that people can pick them out. We’re getting to the point where we need to maybe not a few things out, and then put out some new things. We move things around. People see different things in different places. That’s kind of the fun of it.”

Baird Christmas display (2020 image)

Work on this year’s display began in October. At one point, Baird says three generations of family members worked on the display. Despite all the hard work, he says the joy it brings visitors each year makes it worthwhile. “My dad’s favorite saying was, ‘With all the bad in the world, it’s nice to give something to the community, that people can drive by and enjoy all they want,'” he said. “It doesn’t cost them anything. There’s a box by the drive. If they want to donate, that’s up to them. But, we do not ask for donations. Whatever we get goes back into the lights. That’s the neat thing. If it brings a little bit of happiness to someone who’s having a tough time, it’s well worth doing.”

Beginning tomorrow (Saturday), residents can view the Baird Christmas lights every night from 5-to-10 p-m through January 3rd.