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South Side man covers property in holiday figures

Matt McCarrier stands with some of the lighted characters he has collected over the years, that are on display at his South Williamsport home. . KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Matt McCarrier takes decking the halls of his home for Christmas seriously.

Receiving his first lighted plastic Christmas figure, also known as a blow mold, at the age of three, set him off upon his festive hobby for the past 29 years. Hundreds of lighted figures now fill his backyard, side yard and front and back porches of his home on the corner of East Mountain and Hastings avenues in South Williamsport, bringing a smile to all who drive by.

It’s not just the Christmas holiday that McCarrier decorates with figures — “Halloween, Easter and all the holidays in between,” says Matt, all get their special lighted characters taken out of storage to decorate his lawn.

It is a labor of love, but quite a labor nonetheless, he said.

“Just for Christmas alone, I take a week off of work to set up the display,” said McCarrier.

Extension cords, powering and linking the figures together are one of the items that can be in short supply around his home.

“I keep running out, just alone this year I have probably put in another 25 extension cords or more,” said McCarrier, adding bulbs and lights also need to be changed. “It’s a lot of upkeep.”

Why spend all this time to set up his extensive display?

“I do it for my nieces, nephews, my family and my friends, and the community enjoys it,” he said with a smile.

McCarrier gets daily visitors who stop to admire his display, from near and far.

“I was just outside fiddling with stuff and someone stopped from New York to talk to me about the display.”

If they don’t stop, they honk their horns or yell out of their vehicles, said McCarrier.

“Oh my gosh, look at Santa, look at all the snowmen, it’s so bright,” are the typical responses he hears.

As far as having a favorite figure, McCarrier quickly answered, “the snowman that started it all.”

The first figure he received as a child, the snowman, not only graces his yard, but is also immortalized in a tattoo on McCarrier’s calf. The snowman tattoo, which McCarrier got six years ago, was joined by a Santa, Christmas tree and other holiday figures last spring.

“I take it pretty serious if I have a whole Christmas leg tattoo,” said McCarrier said with a chuckle, as he showed the artwork on his leg.

The best part of having hundreds of Christmas figures in his yard is when the setup is completed each year, said McCarrier.

“When everything is plugged in and working, glowing and lit and I don’t have to fiddle with anything, and you just see the glow of it all,” he said.

And where can he be found after all his hard work?

“I’m usually on the internet looking to buy more,” he said with a laugh. “That’s how I reward myself.”

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