When to start....

[TheUltimate]

So, I live in the northland where it snows and the ground freezes and such. I was wondering when you other northerners start setting things up for your Christmas shows???

[LightsinMaine]

I live in Maine and i put everything out within the first 2 weeks of November

[Paul M Krupa]

I try to get started with the stuff that goes on the roof or has stakes that drive into the ground on the 1st of November, only seen snow on halloween a couple in the last 30 years

[Max-Paul]

Well I am no where that far north. But I will get my lights on my roof in in the next few weeks. I just dont like walking on my shingles when they get cold and can snap. I'll go up while they are still warm. Now the air might be a bit cooler, but the sun will warm them up a bit. I rather not go up if they shingles themselves are below 70 degrees. the reason I will do them soon. I think unless the weather really takes a turn for the worse, I will start setting up the ground stuff last week of Oct. I dont rush it and it is not like I do all over just a couple of days. Also this year I got to get the mega tree up for the first time and need to do some work adjusting the strings so they are all about the same tension when attached to the PVC ring. I dont like sitting in the snow, wind or rain setting up. And my followers expect the show on Thanksgiving evening after dinner. The show must go on, no?

[wallleyes]

Last year i had most of my stuff set up on halloween.

[scubado]

After the TOT's are done I start putting away Halloween. Nov. 1st I start putting out Christmas.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

My roof stuff goes up in Oct, never know when a big dump of snow can hit, the ground stuff goes out in Nov and the controllers are the last thing to go out, with the exception of the roof, then the testing begins the final week of Nov, with light up this year on Dec 1st a Saturday night, I might be lucky enough to have some visitors from Florida coming to see the light up, gotta love it when your Mom still wants to see the lights

[Mark Porter]

South Central PA here. Prep work and temporary post setting begins right after Halloween before the first freeze. Full set up is complete by Thanksgiving weekend. I will do the odd run through of a sequence section prior to the official start date though.

[George Simmons]

So, I live in the northland where it snows and the ground freezes and such. I was wondering when you other northerners start setting things up for your Christmas shows???

Well, that depends on how you define "start setting things up"...

If you count the stuff that I set up during the summer, and then, bcause it's in the spot where it's going to be anyway, I never get around to taking back down unless Sharon gets on me for it, then this year I started in early June. The 'official" start date is early October, and I get the things that I WANT to freeze into the ground first. Then the things that require a ladder come next, then the controllers, then the power cords and comm cables, and then every thing else. My goal for completion this year is Nov 17th. Thanksgiving is the first show and that day occurs as early as it possibly can this year.

[JoeKinne]

Here in the northwest where the issues is more of rain and moss rather than snow and ice.....I put the roof items up (star and house lights) on a nice day in October (keep an eye on the weather), after that it all starts going out as soon as we get Halloween down on the first weekend in November.