Glen Allen couple ends their famous Christmas Lights display after 27 years

After 27 years, Al and Esther Thompson are filling up their yard at 9716 Wendhurst Drive in Glen Allen with lights and decorations for the last time.

Home to one of the top stops of the Tacky Lights Tour, the Thompsons won ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight” in 2016 and continually draw massive crowds every year with their 100% homemade decorations.

They were featured in “Merry Christmas, America!” by Bruce Littlefield, The TLC show “Crazy Christmas Lights,” CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News and USA Today as one of the top locations in the country to view Christmas.

Each year, Thompson spends months preparing for that special moment at the annual Thanksgiving grand illumination where everything comes to life.

“It takes us 2 1/2 months to put it up, usually around 650-plus hours,” Thompson said. “It takes about a month and a half to get everything down. Then there's another month or so of maintenance and repairs, because I have to make sure everything is working and has fresh paint before I put everything away. Then when I finish that, I start building new things for the next year. And that has gone around year-round for 20 years.”

Now approaching 80, Thompson says he’s slowing down.

“I’m sad. I mean … 27 years,” he said fondly.

In addition, the Phifer Christmas house on Asbury Court will be shining a bit softer this year.

Owner Bobby Phifer, 58, has been bedridden for the past month following illness and surgeries, but his wife, Bobbie, his daughter Katelyn, 26, and her boyfriend Alex have been pitching in to help string lights and decorate the house.

Phifer has been decorating Asbury Court since he was a child. First, he decorated his mother’s house at 9606 Asbury Court. Then he bought the house next door and decorated that. In 2017, the Phifers won ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight.” Last year, the Phifer house celebrated 50 years of decorating for the holidays.

Finally, the Rock and Roll Christmas House at 236 N. New Ave. in Highland Springs will be noticeably absent from the tour, as will 1510 Grove Ave. in Richmond.

But don’t fret, Christmas fans.

The Tacky Lights tradition and tours are as lively as ever.

“We are pretty much sold out,” Lyndsi Austin with RVATukTuk said.

“People are extremely enthusiastic. We've got a huge wait list right now for almost every night that we're doing a tour.”

RVATukTuk keeps their tours around the city, finding hot spots in the Fan and Museum districts.

You can also find tours offered through RVA Brew Crew, Discover Richmond Tours and James Limousine.

“We start booking these tours in July,” reservation agent Ben Allen said. “We have repeat customers that do the same tour every year. They see the same lights every year, and they're happy to do it. It's fun for us, too, because we see the families having so much fun together, getting into the Christmas spirit. It really is a great time of year.”

“We’re generally in the West End and we have some popular ones in Chesterfield as well,” he added.

A top stop has always been Christmas on Wendhurst, of course.

Though the Thompsons' absence will leave a gap next year, Al still believes in the tradition and hopes one home in particular can carry on the Christmas magic.

“That's a tough question for me, because I love everybody that decorates,” Thompson said when asked if he had a favorite. 

“I do know one out in Mechanicsville, 'Hadley's Winterland,' they're going to get most of our decorations, so they're going to really step it up.”

This marks 21 years of decorations for Matthew Satterwhite at 7396 Kelshire Trace in Mechanicsville. Dressed head to toe in lights, the home has 170,000 lights.

“I enjoy the reaction, the family memories that it creates for other families that show up. Some of them now are almost a third generation. The parents brought their young kids, and now they're the kids who are starting to bring their young kids. So it's pretty cool to watch them grow up. And it's a lot of fun to do,” Satterwhite said.

He’s mastered the art of outdoor holiday decor, taking notes from Tacky Lights vets like Thompson.

“I've helped Al for many years now. I do the roof and his tree for him,” Satterwhite said. “He said he wasn't gonna do it this year. He said, ‘Matt, make a list, whatever you want, you can have.’

A week later, he changed his mind, but I did pick out like 60 or 70 items, so my display looks quite different this year.”

Hadley’s Winterland features an interactive display where visitors can walk through the driveway, test their fate with the naughty or nice button, jam to Christmas tunes on the foot-activated keyboard and even send letters to Santa.

Satterwhite, like Thompson, spends months preparing.

“I make homemade items as well. I'm 45 and I still work 40 hours a week. Then I come home on the weekends and basically destroy myself trying to get these things up,” he laughed. “I'm sore. I look forward to Thanksgiving night.”

On Thanksgiving night, the Thompsons hosted their grand illumination for the last time.

Sad to leave the list behind, Thompson is grateful for those that make it worthwhile.