Twenty Years of Magic: The Future Ahead
Twenty years ago, our Christmas display began with just a few lights and a simple idea: to bring a little joy to our neighborhood. Back in 2005, we never imagined it would grow into what it is today. What started as a modest front yard display has, over the years, become something much bigger. With each season came new ideas, new scenes, and new ways to make the experience more magical. What once fit neatly into a small space evolved into a larger tradition built with care, creativity, and heart. Along the way, it became more than just our display. Families return year after year. Children who once visited in pajamas now bring their own children. Photos are taken, memories are made, and for many, it has become part of their holiday tradition. What began as something personal has grown into something shared with thousands of visitors who stop, smile, and feel the magic of Christmas.
But any growth comes with challenges. As the display has grown, so have the demands. Rising costs, aging equipment, replacement parts, storage, electricity, and repairs all make continuing more difficult each year. Beyond the financial side, there is the investment of time and energy—planning, building, sequencing, maintaining, filming, writing, and constantly looking for ways to improve. What once felt simple now takes real endurance. And the work doesn’t stop when the lights come down.
Throughout the year, we continue writing articles to keep the spirit of Christmas alive long after December has passed. We share stories about traditions, history, nostalgia, and the meaning behind the season for those who believe Christmas is more than a single day on the calendar. At the same time, we’re creating new sequences, hunting down parts and components, improving the display, and continuing Ryan’s work portraying Santa Claus.
This has never just been a seasonal hobby. It’s a year-round labor of love. Over the years, we’ve sought sponsors to help offset the growing costs, but support has been limited. We understand businesses have their own financial realities and difficult decisions to make. We respect that. But the truth is simple: if this tradition is going to continue, sponsorship and community support are becoming increasingly important.
Last year was a reminder of that reality. In 2025, aging equipment and network failures forced the display to go dark—something that had never happened on that scale before. It was frustrating, disappointing, and honestly heartbreaking. It also made clear that keeping this tradition alive will require more than determination alone.
Each February, as we always do, we sit down as a family and decide if we can continue for another season. These are never easy conversations. They require honest reflection about what it takes, what we can handle, and whether the resources are there to keep moving forward.
If you love what we do, there are ways you can help:
- Consider sponsorship or advertising if you or your business are able.
- Read and share our holiday articles.
- Like, share and engage with our social media posts (use the wooden icons at the bottom of the page to visit each one)
Support doesn’t always have to be financial. Every visit, every share, every comment, and every word of encouragement matters more than you know. “The Johnsons’ Christmas Corner” is no longer just ours. It belongs to everyone who visits, returns each year, or finds a little bit of holiday magic here.
And what comes next may very well depend on all of us.
From our family to yours,
Happy Everything