BOZEMAN - What started with a couple of reindeer in the front yard, has turned into a light display that delights thousands of visitors every year.
Sherri Kraft and her husband Dave begin preparations for their display in August and start decorating after Halloween.
Pallets of lights and boxes of inflatables are only the beginning, back in Kraft’s workshop there are plans for custom decoration featuring a working Ferris wheel and teeter-totter.
“It’s just something you can’t buy at the store is the thing, and I just really love building things,” Kraft said.
A car tracker tallies the number of visitors, and thus far they are seeing 200-to-400 vehicles per night.
“I was so glad that during COVID, people were still able to come out stay in their car be safe, be warm, and still be enjoy their evening,” Kraft said.
The Kraft’s welcomed 12,000 people to view their home — from college students to visitors from Japan — during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Different additions to her display have been added over the 20 years of decorating. The most notable are her hand-made, custom decorations.
Sherri gathers blueprints in August and spends her free time carving, priming, painting, and gathering motors for the moving parts.
Sherri’s favorite part of the display is seeing children look at the colorful lights and sounds, and the parents honking and enjoying time with their family.
The display will be up until the middle of January and the lights will remain on until around 11 p.m. each night.
