In December, driving around the city at night often means passing various houses decorated with Christmas lights – but if you’re on Clinkskill Drive in Saskatoon, you can’t miss one house in particular.

Seven years ago, Scott and Shelly Lambie were sitting in front of the TV watching YouTube videos with their daughter. Scott says they were looking at various Christmas light displays, and his daughter said “Hey, you should do that!”

They ordered some lights and a few control boxes and began what would quickly become the Clinkskill Christmas Lights.

This year the display has 75,000 lights, compared to the 25,000 they had in their first year.

Scott said they begin putting the lights up on the roof in September before it snows. In November they begin putting up all of the other lights – which they work on almost every day.

“Usually after work for a couple hours, and put in eight-hour shifts on the weekend and keep going until it’s done,” he said.

Some of the new features this year include the lights wrapping around into a tree that’s about 60 feet high in the backyard, and a new colour pixel tree, each individual light can be programmed to be a different colour.

The couple programs the lights to sync with the FM radio channel 89.7 and people can tune in from their cars, or they can watch from the front sidewalk.

“We’ve got the radio tuned in so they can hear it (from the sidewalk),” Shelly said. “Makes it a little bit easier to get in front of the lights and watch the show.”

The display has become a staple in the city; Scott said last year, Shelly handed out around 700 candy canes – in one night.

“Our five-year-old grandson, we asked what he wanted for Christmas and it was to hand out candy canes (to the people who come to see the lights),” Shelly said.

“I grew up in Saskatoon and we always did the light tour. We didn’t have a lot of money but it was something we could always do. And it’s great to see the kids dancing up and down the sidewalk, so excited to get a candy cane – which is such a little thing.”

Scott Lambie said he’s noticed the kids always enjoy when “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” plays during the light display, while Shelly loves them all.

The lights are on from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weeknights and 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.

The couple warns visitors driving by to be careful to not park in driveways, and to watch out for excited children who may accidentally run onto the road.

They encourage visitors to park down the street on nice nights and walk down to watch the display from the sidewalk.