Every year, thousands of people pack their cars full of children and hot cocoa and come from all over the Tri-state, to get a little taste of Christmas cheer. It has even become somewhat of a tradition for those that have moved away from Owensboro to set aside time to view the lights at “the Stonegate house” when they return home each winter to visit.
With the lights typically on display by Thanksgiving, it is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. However, this season the lights were up for viewing a little earlier than usual. This year, the Lashbrook family was hanging and assembling decorations in anticipation of a new set of viewers. What once began with a few milk jugs and a handful of tea lights has now transformed into a neighborhood spectacular on view for the entire country to see.
On the evening of Sunday, October 19, Indian Creek Loop was transformed into the backdrop for family-friendly reality television, as camera crews and production assistants buzzed around positioning cameras and lighting, in an effort to get the perfect shot. The street quickly took on the feel of a wintery Christmas commercial as approximately 150 neighbors and family members, dressed in Christmas-themed apparel, lined the streets, eagerly awaiting the cue to illuminate the block. That cue came in the form of a black Lincoln Navigator transporting pint-sized designer Sabrina Soto, one of the judges from ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight. Sabrina stepped out of the vehicle to a cheering crowd, a warm welcome from the Lashbrook family, and a special serenade of Christmas carols provided by the Daviess County High School Chamber Choir. After a short, friendly conversation with the family, the crowd then assisted with the countdown to initiate the lights.
1-2-3…
Magically, the entire property began to come alive with the glow of thousands of colored lights that, when lit, looked akin to something that you might see in a frozen fairytale. In the front yard, the first tree to spring to life was the massive blue spruce, covered with shining ornaments and over 10,000 lights. Alongside of it was the “ball tree,” adorned with handmade lanterns and one-of-a-kind globes that the family created using clear pretzel containers and miniature lights. The family believes that such homemade items will set them apart from others in the competition. While the Lashbrook family has always incorporated homemade and hand-crafted items into their display, this year there was a different motivation for doing so. Knowing that celebrity judge and host of The High-Low Project, Sabrina Soto, has an appreciation for DIY and handmade items, this is where the Lashbrooks chose to place their focus.
Jeff and Connie Lashbrook started having custom-designed and lighted pieces created when their children were small. Kelsey, the oldest of the Lashbrook children, says her dad has “always put stuff up” and remembers displays as young as age five. The Christmas train is the one piece that she recalls being around the longest. The first original pieces that Jeff and Connie had designed were the carved statues that were created to depict the actual size of each of the Lashbrook children, Kelsey at age 9, Tyler at age 7, and Jessica at age 5. Also incorporated into the winter scenes are toy soldiers and five snowmen, which were each artfully crafted to represent this tightly knit family of five.
Jeff’s love of all things Christmas does not stop with light and decorations. Connie recalls that one day Jeff came home with a Santa suit and began to hand out candy. It has since become tradition for Jeff Lashbrook to dress as Santa, hand out candy canes, and collect donations as onlookers exit the neighborhood. As far as asking for donations from visitors to fund the increased electricity that it takes to run this spectacular display, the family prefers that the money be donated to local charities. In 1999, the neighborhood joined with the Lashbrooks to create “Christmas at Stonegate.” The neighborhood association chooses which two local charities should receive the thousands of dollars given each year in donations. Past recipients have been the Pitino Shelter, Christmas Wish, and the Mary Kendall Home. This ongoing act of kindness may have attributed to the family being chosen for the show.
After watching one of last year’s episodes of The Great Christmas Light Fight as a family, Tyler, the second oldest of the three Lashbrook children, thought, “We can do this.” The family then read the rules at the end of the show and decided to submit a home video of their Christmas light display. From there, the process went into motion. The show, now in its second season, selects twenty-four families through an extensive nationwide search, “based on their previous elaborate Christmas light displays, incredible choreography and over-the-top designs.” In each episode, four families then compete with the goal of winning the grand prize of $50,000. After viewing the video, ABC loved the Lashbrook’s house and the charity component so much that they were automatically advanced to the next round. At that point, they were able to participate in a Skype interview with an ABC producer in Los Angles. Once selected for the show, the family was asked to fill out what they describe as “mounds and, I mean, mounds of paperwork.” The last step involved completing background checks for each family member, reviewing the official rules, and designating who would receive the prize money should they win.
The episode featuring the Lashbrook’s magnificent Stonegate light display is due to air in mid-December. Regardless of the outcome of this season’s episode, it is certain that the Lashbrooks will continue to light the neighborhood with the joy of Christmas for many years to come.
[tw-divider][/tw-divider]
To see the Lashbrook family and their amazing display of lights, as well as members of the Owensboro community, tune in to The Great Christmas Light Fight Monday evenings in December. The show will premiere on Monday, December 8 on the ABC Television Network and continue to air back-to-back episodes on the following dates:
- Monday, December 8
(7-8 p.m., CT) and (8-9 p.m., CT) - Monday, December 15
(7-8 p.m., CT) and (8-9 p.m., CT) - Monday, December 22
(7-8 p.m., CT) and (8-9 p.m., CT)