Man adds more lights to his hometown during each festive season — his one million lights display brightened people’s spirits
A person's happiest childhood memories might be the answer to bringing up the festive spirit. A Georgia man proved that when he decided to light up his town of Macon with a million Christmas lights as he wanted to recreate how the town used to be decorated for the holiday season when he was a boy. He progressively increased the number of lights he put up each year and the effects of his project were not only felt in the holiday spirit but also on local businesses, per Good Morning America.
The man, Bryan Nichols, managed to put up a one-million Christmas lights on display in 2024 after increasing the number of lights put up each year. Many families gathered in the downtown area of Macon to witness the stunning display of lights. Nichols also programmed a music routine for the lights to dance to. Several people even came to the town from miles away and from different states to experience the area that looked no less than Christmas magic sprinkled all around. The tourists from different areas looked enchanted by the breathtaking display and the crowds ranged from kids to adults and locals to tourists, appreciating Nichols's hard work.
"I knew that it would be a big deal and people would come down to see the lights, but I had no idea what it would turn into," Nichols admitted. He explained that they put up lights on the trees, on the trunks and even lit up the floors to add magic to the whole atmosphere. The man started this as an all-new tradition a few years back and it expanded to five and a half blocks in 2024. "This is one of our newer blocks. As you can see, we've added a globe so people can walk through it," Nichols went on. One could see the giant white lit-up globe right behind him and people walking through it and clicking pictures.
Local businesses in the area have also felt the positive impact of tourists coming in to see the lights. Scott Michelle, the owner of Sweet Eleanor's Divine Desserts, shared, "I have seen a huge amount of diverse groups of people coming downtown to enjoy these beautiful holiday traditions." Lake Lambert and Jordan Hampel of the Macon visitor welcome center revealed, "We have seen tons of people come down to see the Christmas lights, from big families to just couples who are trying to go on a date. People from North Carolina and all around south Southeast also come and see the amazing work Bryan has done for our community."
A man, Charles Davis, could also see how Nichols's efforts had impacted the economy. "The amount of income in the economy through this light festival, which has come into the town between December and January, is amazing." All the restaurants in the downtown area were out of parking spaces because of the crowds. "But that is what you want for an event like this," Davis pointed out. Nobody knew that one neighborhood man would be able to change the holidays so much for the town, just because he wanted to relive his childhood, per the outlet.