Massive Christmas display lights up the night in Cloverdale

A massive Christmas light display is illuminating the night on Jersey Drive in Cloverdale.

Homeowner Andrea Bonneteau’s big display is back up this year after she couldn’t set up the lights last year. (Bonneteau was recovering from a car accident and was physically unable to do it.)

Now, the house at 16951 Jersey Drive is attracting both people and donations.

Bonneteau said she’s always had a charity component as part of her light display. This year she’s decided to support Cloverdale’s Fraser Valley Regional Food Bank.

“We’ve collected a lot of money over the years, for different charities,” she said. “We’ve done Variety, the Children’s Charity of B.C., we’ve done the Surrey hospital NICU, but this year we decided to go local.”

After taking a tour of the food bank, Bonneteau decided it was a great cause.

Bonneteau doesn’t take any non-perishables, just monetary donations, as it helps the foodbank purchase much-needed items, things that often aren’t donated.

Bonneteau’s been putting up her display for about 15 years.

This year she started Oct. 25 and finished just over a month later on Nov. 27. She said there are thousands of lights, hundreds of blow-mould characters, and many inflatables.

“The blow-mould decorations are very hard to get in Canada,” she explained. “They are old-fashioned plastic Christmas decorations. You have to put a single light bulb in there to light it up. We have a beautiful Nativity scene with the three wise men and Mary and Joseph and Jesus and some animals. We’ve had (the Nativity) for a long time.”

She also has waterfall lights on the roof that cascade down creating a “unique” effect.

“We’ve also got four-feet high angels in the front yard,” Bonneteau added. “We’ve also got a lot of ground-cover lights. It makes our display different from a lot of other displays because it adds another dimension to the experience, top to bottom.”

And she said everything is “serenaded by Christmas music.”

She’s had a great reaction for the community so far.

“Everybody loves it,” she said. “Even just a local people walking by. They’re so happy that we’re doing it again. Kids come by and just sit on the sidewalk. They yell, ‘We’re so glad you’re doing it.’ So it’s been a lot of fun.”

For about four years, they also had train rides up and down the street. The rides, by donation, with all money collected also going to charity, have been offered by the same people who operate the Bear Creek Park train.

Bonneteau said the train rides may return this year, but one of the trains was damaged in the recent windstorm, so she doesn’t yet know if it can be repaired before Christmas.

“A lot of kids have been asking about the train rides,” she noted. “It’s a lot of fun for the community. We always have a lot of people show up for it.

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editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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