The holidays are over and so the Christmas light show on Rode Kruislaan in Woensel is being taken down again. The more than 30,000 lights go back into the box and the street is not so illuminated for a while. And that after more than 2,500 visitors last month.
Breaking down goes a lot faster than building up all the Christmas decorations. “We normally start building up in October, then after Halloween we start putting up the Christmas trees in the gardens and then on St. Nicholas’ birthday everything is ready”, organiser Erik Rakhorst says.
The four residential houses are completely in Christmas atmosphere during the holiday season, which attracts a lot of visitors. “We had around 2,500 visitors this year, which has been less in recent years because of corona. It’s really nice to see the children enjoying the music and the lights”, co-organiser Henk van der Aa says.
Energy bill
More than 30,000 lights are hanging during the Christmas light show, so Erik and Henk can expect a hefty energy bill. “It’s all LED so fortunately that’s not too bad. This year I put a flow meter between them and was able to measure exactly what we consumed. The total is €170, so that’s not too bad. That’s what we’re willing to pay for our hobby”, Rakhorst explains.
Charity
“We do this mostly for the people who stop by and pair a charity with that. This year that charity is Speelcadeau (play gift). An organisation that collects toys for children whose parents can’t afford them. And there was a big donation. In fact, we raised a total of €1000. This goes in its entirety to charity”.
Fans of the Christmas light show can also enjoy a following edition at the end of 2023, so they have to be patient for a while.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
