When do you start your Xmas setup?

[XmasGal]

Hi Everyone,

When do you start setting out your decorations for Xmas?

I started setting up 3 arches on one section of my yard 2weeks before Halloween.  I'm the only one doing the work with my 71 year old mother occasionally helping where she can. And by Thanksgiving night the lights come on.

Edited November 1, 2021 by XmasGal
Grammer

[k6ccc]

The lights on the eves and roofline go up in late October because I use them for Halloween.  This year I really need to rebuild the roofline stuff and have not had time (or ambition) so they are not going up, and I was slow getting the eves up, but they were fully operational for Halloween last night.  The Christmas stuff starts getting out on the day after Halloween.  The plan is to have the singing faces fully operational today, and next weekend will be the pixel tree, the FM station (yes, I will start running music and announcements as soon as it's operational) and hopefully some other stuff.  My goal is to have everything out and at least mostly operational by the end of the weekend 10 days before Thanksgiving.  That gives me a week and a half to test and troubleshoot before opening night on Friday after Thanksgiving.

 

[TheDucks]

Just taking down Halloween ONLY props. My Eves are also staying as they are Smart(er than their user.)

So All but 1 controller is already in place and cabled (input side), just the other props change.

So, how do you want to score this? Started Oct 1? Or Nov 1?

[hasslerk]

I start in earnest after 9pm tonight (the last night of my Halloween show).  I will swap out pumpkins for 5 singing Christmas trees, and move my 4 singing bulbs (currently dressed as ghosts) down to their holiday positions and add their 2 brothers (for a total of 6).  Yard props do not come out for another couple weeks due to yard service, and will be put up weekend of 13th.  Other tree/shrub lights will be placed between now and then, as well as new superspark strobes on the porch roof.  Other times, I will be inside feverishly trying to finish up my new sequences for this year's show (even though we have all year to do this, it still comes down to last minute for me).  Testing is performed progressively as each prop is added.  Show goes live Thanksgiving night.

[prevue12]

I light up on Black Friday, start set up the Saturday before. 

[k6ccc]

36 minutes ago, hasslerk said:

Other times, I will be inside feverishly trying to finish up my new sequences for this year's show (even though we have all year to do this, it still comes down to last minute for me). 

I'll make you feel bad.  I finished sequnecing changes for 2021 back round May.  Although I did decide to move five strobe channels to a different controller this morning so 2 minutes in the Preview Editor to move them, and all the sequences will update automagicaly...

 

[basis21b]

Our light up is Thanksgiving evening or Black Friday depending on my mood.  We started hanging lights on the house this past Saturday (Oct 30).  We get a few funny looks from some of the people driving by.  However in late November and early December when the temps here in Minnesnowta are hovering in the low 20's, I am in my warm home while they are out on ladders freezing their ... fingers ... off.

[dgrant]

Normally I would be starting my setup today, Nov 1st but not this year. Due to many unforseen circumstances, no show this year. Most likely will be moving as well and no clue yet, where too. My show takes 2-2.5 weeks to put up and have ready to run.

[TheSignGuy]

Started hanging some today, roof line first then working my way down to the ground. It's just me so I have to drag all the stuff out, sort it, test it, fix it, hang it, repeat! Last year was a new house and 100% new set up, a few times I just wanted to quit. But this year (I hope) will be faster and easier to set up.

I hope to be done a week before Thanksgiving for some testing before I go live Thanksgiving evening.

Edited November 1, 2021 by TheSignGuy

[tlogan]

When  I was having to go into the office every day, I would start setting up Thanksgiving weekend (Friday or Saturday depending on if I had to work and whether we were leaving town to visit family). Most times I am setup by the weekend after Thanksgiving. However, THIS year, family may actually be coming to our house. IF so, and since I 'm currently working from home,  I will be set up for a family pre-show on Thanksgiving and then regular schedule starting the next night.  

[Wayne K]

I am planning to start this weekend and then on November 12th I am vacation for 2 weeks to get it all setup and then turn it on thanksgiving night.

Wayne

[Vince4xmas]

New location for show this year. Started earlier than usual (3 weeks ago). Startup is Black Friday night.

 

[dibblejr]

1 hour ago, Vince4xmas said:

New location for show this year. Started earlier than usual (3 weeks ago). Startup is Black Friday night.

 

How’s that new venue going, my friend? 

My show this year will consist of 8 LOR singing trees. 
 

Not another light.
JR

[Vince4xmas]

Gonna be sweet. Hope it all works out as a 360 degree gazebo display may be a challenge!

 

[Orville]

I usually start setting up on Nov 1, but not this year, I'm still debating whether or not I'm going to even do a show this year.  Without being able to get classes, even though my insurance covers it, can't find a dad blasted optomestrist that'll take disability insurance.  And over the past couple weeks my vision has deteriorated even more, making it difficult to see things very well.   I have no new sequences for this year, and planned on using older ones from previous years, but I have to update all the sequences to the new format and placement of where I had planned on placing things.   I may try to get something up, but I don't think it's going to be much, if I can manage it.   I'm usually up and running a few days BEFORE Thanksgiving, but this year, due to health and worsening vision issues, I'm just not sure what I'm going to be able to pull off now.  I had some stuff pre-set up, but when the Pixie16 died on me, that sort of killed everything that was set up, and all that 12V stuff had to come down, since the only other RGB Controllers I have are 2 LOR Singing Trees and the original 5V RGB CCB100 controllers.

So I' just not sure what, if anything I'll have up this year, as I only have, perhaps 3 sequences that actually have the singing trees in them, the rest were to be done this year, but after my glasses broke, and I thought I'd be able to get a new pair via my insurance, which didn't work out due to the type insurance I have which would pay for everything 100%, but no one takes it.  Which is very aggravating.  No wonder our disabled vets and other disabled people can't get the medical care or items they need to just function in  everyday life.  Sorry for the rain on the parade, but I wanted to have a nice display this year with some added features, but due to so many issues, just doesn't seem to be happening like I'd prefer.

I may get a few strands of 5V RGB bulbs up, but that will probably be all I do for the 2021 Christmas Display.  I know my neighbors are going to be disappointed, but not much I can do about it. :(

[Speedster]

I usually start any time after Nov 1, usually between Nov 4 & 11.  It takes me 24+ hrs to finish my LOR setup and I like to be finished the Sunday before Thanksgiving which is first light-up.  It can get pretty cold here in WI in Nov so the sooner I finish the better. 

[Godney]

Starting this weekend it will take all that time to Start up on Black Friday night, also have week of Thanksgiving Off.

[LightsWithSoul]

I'll begin setup on the Monday before Thanksgiving. That'll give me 4 days of solid work before the show turns on Thanksgiving night. I have a relatively small 2 story home with not much frontage so setup doesn't take too long. I expect the temperatures to be in the low 60s so it should be perfect setup weather.

[Orville]

I was going to try and start setting up what I could today {Friday 11/5}, but 100% storms and high winds just killed that.  Won't be back to 0% until Sunday, which should last at 0% rain through about Wednesday, so hopefully Monday I can start trying to get some stuff out and up before the next heavy rainstorms hit.  Lovely liquid sunshine, Florida.   Why is it when I feel like I can get something done, it always has to be on, or at a time it’s going to rain for a day or two?  Good Grief!

Last couple weeks, seems Thursday evening rain and high winds roll in and don't exit until at least late Saturday afternoon to early or late evening.  Sure kills getting anything done with rain and high winds, wiping out a day or two every week around here recently.

[jfuller8400]

I start working on mine the first weekend in October and do weekends until Halloween.  After Halloween, I'll take the first week in Nov off work and spend all week setting up the rest of the display. 

I just completed setting up this year's display and am working now on finalizing my sequencing (moving to S5 and adding new Pixel props).