Family's 30-Year Holiday Gift to Lincoln Ends

LINCOLN, Neb. - As the holiday season approaches, many in Lincoln will be making their usual stops to admire the traditional light displays throughout the city. However, for one couple's home, this year's elaborate display will mark the end of an era.

Just east of Lincoln, the Bayer family has spent decades creating a Christmas lights display that would make even Clark Griswold envious. Russ Bayer recalls a moment when a neighbor drove by and called him "Hey Clark!" and he couldn't remember who the person was talking about.

Gwen Bayer, his wife, also shared a story about her husband's antics with the lights on their garage roof. "Our kids will never forget you stapling your glove to the roof of the garage," she said. "I did do that, I did do that," Russ chuckled.

The couple started small at their previous home in Lincoln, inspired by their young children to decorate and create a cheerful atmosphere. "We've always loved Christmas, from the very beginning," Russ said.

Gwen added, "It started with my father giving us Santa and the reindeer because he was a big decorator." She gestured to the roof of their garage, where the decorations have been hanging since 1982 or 1983 when they moved into their first house.

In 1994, the family moved to their current home on 112th Street, where they began to increase their efforts each year. Eventually, they incorporated music, syncing the lights to holiday songs and broadcasting a short-range radio signal for viewers to tune into.

"The technology really kicked in around 2000 or late 1990s, and we were able to bring the music into the lights," Russ explained. "And that’s all changed now too, because now there are software programs that run all of this stuff."

However, after more than 30 years, the Bayers have decided to scale back. As they grow older, the process of setting up the display takes longer each year. Even with help from their children and grandchildren, the setup begins as early as September every year.

While the lights turn on automatically each night, the couple still does daily checks to ensure everything is working properly, despite wind, snow, and the occasional mouse chewing through power cords.

"We've thought about this for a long time," Russ said. "Every year," Gwen chimed in, mentioning her own safety concerns. "I'm tired of him climbing on the roof," she said, laughing.

"Maybe our luck is just getting to the right time to stop something like this," Russ said. "It's something we love to do, but it's time."

For the past 20 years, the Bayers have received cards and letters from loyal viewers who brought their children out to see the lights. Now, some of those children are old enough to bring their own kids to experience the same display.

"The best thing is when we walk out here sometimes, it's the kids that are sticking their heads out the window just saying 'hey thank you,'" Russ said.

His advice for anyone looking to create their own over-the-top display? Make a map. "Draw it up and put it on a map," he said. "We have about a 12-page map that we use for setting things up every year, so when the kids come over and help, we can say, 'Here, take this page and you go work on that.'"

Beyond planning, Russ emphasizes the importance of doing it for the right reason. "Don't do it if you don't love it," he said.

As they prepare to switch off more than 125,000 lights for the final time, the couple says the true gift was spreading joy to so many families, including their own. "We're coming together and doing all this as sort of our family gift to the community, and I think that's what I'll remember more than anything else," Russ said. "I guess I would just say thanks, Lincoln, and Merry Christmas."

The Bayers' house is located between O and A streets along 112th Street and will be on display each night starting at 4:30 p.m. and going until 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. It will remain on all night on Christmas Eve, with the final night being Sunday, January 4.