Advertising show times?

[Stone Roots]

So this year I've added considerably more lights - and I'm trying to minimize the insanity for my close neighbors by replacing the PA system with a FM transmitter and running timed shows rather than continuous sequences.

I'm just wondering how some of you do it? I'd like to make a sign saying that shows will start at say the beginning of every hour.

Any ideas / suggestions on how to easily advertise show times?

[Dave Batzdorf]

I run my shows from 6-10 Thur-Sunday. Monday thru Wednesday is our day to relax and do any light bulb maintenance. I try to keep the shows to about 10-12 minutes with a 2 minute intermission. We also try and greet each car with candy canes. This works well from me and my neighborhood. Its really all about the traffic and neighborhood layout.

[wallleyes]

I use a voice over stating show hours with the lights blinking with it.

[LightguyGreg]

My show runs every half hour and in between I just have a few static lights on with random Christmas music so people/cars still have something to look at/listen to-- within that mix I also have a pre-recorded announcement that I recorded in garage band that says the shows runs every half hour starting at 6pm or whenever the show is scheduled every night.

Hope that helps!!

[MikeA]

Last thing I want to do when I am out looking at lights is to pull up and have to wait for a show to start or get there at the last song then have to wait. I run continuously. There is a sign in my yard stating the hours.

[ItsMeBobO]

My idea is to never make anyone wait. If they are hanging outside anyway, I want them to hear the songs. So my strategy is the opposite. I start my show early and run late. There is never anyone here when it starts an hour before dark. At 11pm If I see cars... I keep it going another hour and check later. A traffic jam happens if everyone can only see it 7- 10. People who dont mind or want to come late dont have to wait in line during rush hour which lightens the rush hour. The more hours it runs the less chance for a peak which the streets cant handle.

Edited November 16, 2012 by ItsMeBobO

[columbus27]

6-12

[TJ Hvasta]

We run mine every half hour.. starting at 5:30pm.. show runs abt 28 minutes, with low intensity for that minute and a half in btwn.. We get btwn 20-30 cars a night, so no jam up, most stay for 10-12 minutes (abt 3-4 songs).. the neighbors bring lil, lil kids that stand on the sidewalk to watch the lights each night for abt 20mins, then take them home and put them to bed. .its their ritual each Christmas.. They have radios in their kids rooms that pick up the music from the transmitter too, so they listen to is as they fall asleep..

No signs tho..

Edited November 16, 2012 by TJ Hvasta

[Jim Hans]

I run mine continuously. As some of the above have stated, people are going to stop anyway, might as well run the lights. I also think that running it continuously helps even out the cars. Starting every half hour or every hour just builds up the traffic at those times.

[dgrant]

This is my first year. At this time, I'm doing 27 songs in one show therefore it'll run continuously. The first show of the night, I'll do audio to the front yard but FM transmission for the evening including the first show. I plan on starting it at 6Pm and shutting down at 10Pm, at least the first night. Past that, I might start at 5:30 or so but still shutting down at 10Pm. Again, first year, no clue how much traffic I'll get. There is one other home a couple of miles from here that does a huge display and from what he told me, they have cars lined up for a good mile, trying to get a look at his show running.

[keith5885]

I got my setup with a flood light that turns on a speaker if people walk by the sidewalk. First time this year so I will see what hours work out best. I may ask my neighbors for their feedback so they don't complain to HOA.

[EvilM0nkey]

Before I knew what LOR was. If the lights were between shows I ended up leaving.

I'm going to run continuously this year. If it looks like I need to schedule shows I may go that route. Whatever works the best for the flow

[Orville]

Run Continuously, usually 5pm to Midnight every night and all night Christmas eve into Christmas morning. Currently only running static until I can get my Christmas sequences copied over to my new home set up. And that's been a job in itself, since I'm attempting to tweak them as I make the change over.

[Tim Fischer]

Last thing I want to do when I am out looking at lights is to pull up and have to wait for a show to start or get there at the last song then have to wait. I run continuously. There is a sign in my yard stating the hours.

My idea is to never make anyone wait. If they are hanging outside anyway, I want them to hear the songs.

Agree with the above sentiments. The last thing I want is people waiting around for something to start, then waiting longer for the actual show. I just run sequences continuously, and traffic flows through continuously (when it's busy, weeknights and early-Dec weekends are pretty sparse)

[Brett H.]

We too run continous. 3rd year this year and usually get 20-25 cars a night. We live on a dead end street and are one of the first houses. The neighbors dont mind, most actually sit in their houses and watch the show all the time. We are a small village of @ 3000 -5000 people but get alot from surrounding areas to come.

[SydneyXmasLights]

This is my first year and was going to run my 12-15 show every 1/2 hr. I have a voice over at the beginning , middle and end of the show letting prople know when the shows start.

It is a bit different here as it does not get dark enough to start till 8.30pm.

I might change the times during December, but will see how i go.

[Rickbj]

My first year I put on a song every 15 minutes with static light displays between songs. My second year I had a 5 minute break with a static light display between songs. Since then I have run continuously right through the program. My lights come on at 5:00pm, the shows start at 6:00pm and run until 10:00pm Sun - Thu, 11:00pm Fri & Sat. Then static light display until 1:00am.

The first year I had speakers in the yard. The second year I added the FM transmitter. I found that I had a lot of people strolling through the snow (usually with cocktail in hand) to watch the lights and appreciated the speakers in the yard. For those that visited by vehicle they got to listen on their radio.

I post a sign in the front corner of the yard with hours and the FM frequency to listen.

Works fine for me and the neighbors.