rgardner518 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Last year I waited until after Halloween. But the ground was REALLY hard! So I'm starting Oct. 1st. I have arches this yet to get into the ground! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testraub Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 1st year with LOR so started early. Already hung some backyard lights and preped some of the others that will be going up just after Halloween. Checking bulbs (light and color, since I'm kinda color-blind ) Also since 1st year gotta get volume settings done so as not to tick off the neighbors. Hope to be set up and functionable by mid Nov for a Thanksgiving light off.Tom Straub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H1 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 The weekend after Halloween I start the lights on the roof and house. Then move to the shrubs and trees. I leave all the cabling and all objects that are in the grass to the week before Thanksgiving since our mowing season goes to the end of November. It is a strange sight to see bundles of extension cords elevated on milk crates while I mow underneath them. Sure beats having them burried under the snow till Easter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffandnicole Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 We do both Halloween and Christmas - Halloween is a smaller display with mostly blowmolds so I can do that the first weekend or so of October.After Halloween everything will be taken into the attic the 1st week or so of November. Depending on what I need to do, I'll bring the Christmas stuff down around mid-November and start setting that up. My goal is to have everything lit on Black Friday, although I usually miss that mark and have the lights come on the first week of December.Last year, my wife wanted everything up earlier than normal. I wasn't complaining. Of course, I later found out she requested that because she was throwing a surprise Birthday Party for me just after Thanksgiving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 This is a GREAT question - I bet this ends up being a huge thread!!!Lots of great answers...Me - I take the week of Thanksgiving as vacation - Start the weekend before Thanksgiving - But some lights never come down - tube lights can stay up all year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 My Halloween display (orange eave lights and 4 pumpkins) is a test to make sure things are going to work for Christmas. It goes up a week before Halloween.I use C7 chasing candlesticks and several controllers for both Halloween and Christmas, so they stay up. On November 1, I remove the orange lights and pumpkins, and move the speakers to their Christmas location. I set up the rest of the Christmas stuff the first 3 weeks of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don In Kenner-LA Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 Hi All:I start putting lights up last week of October and light up on Nov 25 pm.Hey if Macy's can bring in Christmas on the Nov.25th So Can I LOL HO Ho Ho.Don In Kenner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Wingert Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 1st year will be this, plan on setting up around the 1st week of Oct for Halloween. Then I'll tare down and keep going until all the Christmas lights are up. Last year we all had static displays and we all began the weekend before Thanksgiving. All it took was one neighbor out doing so, the trickle effect was amazing. After I saw this, I grabbed all my lights too! If I remember right the weather that weekend was amazing. 70's and sunny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted August 16, 2010 Share Posted August 16, 2010 This is my 5th year. I do a Halloween and Christmas display. I will set up Halloween on the 2nd and 3rd of October and take it down on November 1st. I will set up Christmas on November 20th and 21st as we are having family over for Thanksgiving this year, and take it down on the 2nd of January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Being a newbie, cannot speak to past experience, but planning on taking Thanksgiving week off to do the bulk of the work, with some weekend prep starting long before that.When I first got serious about LOR back in the spring, I was a little skeptical of those who were telling me how you can't get started early enough, and don't underestimate the amount of work to do. I laughed then, but now I'm looking at putting all the tasks into MS Project and tracking it that way..I have seen the light.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 DonFL wrote: Being a newbie, cannot speak to past experience, but planning on taking Thanksgiving week off to do the bulk of the work, with some weekend prep starting long before that.When I first got serious about LOR back in the spring, I was a little skeptical of those who were telling me how you can't get started early enough, and don't underestimate the amount of work to do. I laughed then, but now I'm looking at putting all the tasks into MS Project and tracking it that way..I have seen the light..Somer of us have to deal with snow and cold.When it is real cold (-18 C or 0 F) or colder you can only stay out for a short time so setting up when it is warmer make sence!Even if it was warm I would take me many full days to set everything up.Wow only about 2 more months to set up Halloween! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Paul when does it start getting cold in Alberta? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 KenL_MCSE wrote: Paul when does it start getting cold in Alberta?It never ends!No seriously it can start to snow in Oct! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 I was hoping for the "It Never Ends" response - lolI cannot rember if we ever had snow or ice before Thanksgiving in SE PennsylvaniaOne thing for sure the worst time to put your lights up in when the wind is whipping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 I start the end of September when the temperature finally dips below 100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 I'm hoping at the end of September the temperature stays above freezing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightzilla Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 KenL_MCSE wrote: Paul when does it start getting cold in Alberta?Paul said jokingly that it "never ends" and he is not that far off. This summer shows no sign of global warming but global cooling rather.Right now the leaves are changing colour and this weekend coming the high will be 17c compared to 27c. Our first frost can come in the last week of August or early Sept., and we had a big snow storm on Sept 17th back in 2006 or something like that.We did have snow storms on Halloween night on a number of occasions.Paul mentioned -18c (0 F) but the last two Decembers began way colder than -18c (0 F). Rather it was -30 to -35c for most of December or (-22 F to -31 F) except that one week before Christmas where it went from -35c to -46.2c or (-31 F to -51F).Edmonton where Paul lives does not see all the snow and cold like we do 1 hour South West of Edmonton. We get a bit more snow, Frost, and cold than Edmonton for the most part, but not always.I start putting the lights on bushes and the house on the second or third week of Oct., and then spend most of Nov. setting up the rest of the display. So on many occasions I have set up in cold and snowy conditions.By the way after 4 weeks of -30c (-22 F) -18C (0 F) feels like spring.At -5c or (23 F) people begin to take their coat off, and I am not kidding.Here is a picture I took of our 1st snow fall back on Sept.12th , 2009 . (nothing like 2006) Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I grew up in the Vancouver BC area where when it snows the rain next day washes it away!The first year I was here it snowed the last week of Aug (yikes that is next week) and I don't think that snow melted until the spring.I don't think our display would look right without the snow. (I just want it to wait until I have my yard done). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL_MCSE Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I generally try to take my stuff down by January 10th or so. Last year the temp was about 10F and the wind was bitter. So a lot of my stuff stayed up until we got back into the 30's. How long before you guys start taking things down up there.And Denny you are better man than me. I hate the heat. I grew up in S. Florida. When I took a job in PA - I swore I would never go back - and have not. This record heat summer has brought back bad memories of sitting in front of a fan that is in front of an ac vent.I can always turn the fireplace on or put more clothes on to warm up! Not to mention the wife - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 KenL_MCSE wrote: How long before you guys start taking things down up there.I start first weekend after the New Year. But it is a slow proccess. -20 to -40 you only stay out for a few minutes.Plus the stakes are frozen in the ground and very hard to take out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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