Lynn Haven man shows his holiday spirit with 80,000 lights in Christmas show

LYNN HAVEN — For David Price, there's no better feeling than knowing his Christmas lights help spread holiday cheer throughout his community.

Located on Vermont Avenue in Lynn Haven, Price's house is hard to miss during the evening hours of December as about 80,000 lights flash in synchrony to Christmas music.

In his fourth year of hosting the light show, which features seven songs and four skits between two animated Christmas trees, Price said the tradition stemmed from a friendly competition between him and a neighbor.

While casually preparing his front yard for the holidays about five years ago, Price noticed that every time he installed more lights, his neighbor a few houses down did the same. 

"After about the fifth or sixth trip to Home Depot, I figured out exactly what was going on and decided that he's not going to beat me the next season," said Price, who added he lived in Southport at the time. "I really didn't even know the guy, and I'm not for certain that's what it was, but that's kind of how I took it."

It snowballed into the spectacle of lights that can be seen at his house today. 

Christmas lights:From Apalachicola to Panama City, towns get in the holiday spirit

"We think it's amazing," said Sherry Cotterman of Panama City. "I can't believe a single person could do something so extravagant."

As Cotterman stood with her two children under an illuminated walkway Monday night, she added that she heard about the lights on Facebook and decided to check them out.

"We thought it was awesome, (and my kids) were very excited to see it," Cotterman said of the light show, which lasts about 25 minutes and continuously runs throughout the night. "We haven't seen any houses like this yet."

The event also paved the way for Andrew Martin, a 14-year-old who lives nearby, to earn a little extra cash. 

With the help of his mom, Claire, Andrew set up a hot chocolate stand to sell cups for $1 to those checking out the lights.

"He's been doing this show for a couple years now, and I thought, 'Hey, he's getting all the publicity. Why not come out here and do a small service to the community,' " Andrew said. "I've been watching him build (the show) up from the beginning, and it's definitely a great outcome. He's been working really hard and I'm just glad I'm here to see it."

To synchronize the show, Price uses a transmitter that projects a signal from his house. That lets anyone within about a mile tune into 104.9 and listen to the songs used to guide the lights. 

While Price's house is bright enough to be seen from down the street, he added that all the lights only increase his monthly power bill by about $10. He also said it takes about five hours to program the lights for only one minute of music. In total, he's spent about $40,000 on his setup.

This year, he decided to not only add more lights but also help two local nonprofit organizations gather supplies for the holidays. A drop box is set up across the street from his house for Project 25, a toy drive run by the Bay County Sheriff's Office, and An Angel’s Pantry Food Bank, a food bank run by a retired member of the sheriff's office. 

The show runs every night from about 5-9 p.m. It will end in early January. 

Price said he hopes to continue expanding it every year. 

"There's nothing better than walking outside and seeing these kids and families spending time together," Price said. "It's a wonderful thing, and it just warms my heart to know that I'm bringing happiness to other people in this community."