About Parsons Lights
Parsons Lights is a display in Dalton, GA put on by the Parsons Family. Wes grew up loving Christmas lights. As a young man, he would decorate his family house Griswold style. Every inch of the house needed to be covered. As he grew and got his own house, Wes began putting more thought and intentionality into his layouts. Yet still something was missing. Then one year, Wes saw a house that used pixel lights to create an awe-inspiring, joy filled, dancing light show accompanied by music that opened his eyes to the world of professional lighting! In 2023, Wes began planning for his first Light Show by purchasing a single controller and some basic lights. He spent countless hours on YouTube, internet forums, and lighting websites, learning the craft and exploring the possibilities. Parsons Lights launched their first show in 2024 and are excited to show you how much they've grown with our upcoming 2025 show!
So how long does it take to create a Christmas Light Show?
- February - Planning and Dreaming: In February, we begin thinking about what new elements we want to bring to the show. Nothing is off limits! Often times, this leads us down paths that we know we won't get to for a few more years, but it's this phase of the planning that allows us to see where we are going!
- March - Reality and Purchasing: In March, we take our plans and dreams and ask the hard questions: What can we really afford for this year? We map this out and order our new lights, props, controllers, and other gear for the new season.
- April - July - Programming: These are the fun months! Here we begin to think about song selections and the show as a whole. Once we've chosen our songs, we then begin programming all the lights for the show. Being relatively new to this still, this process takes time. We use a program called Xlights to program our show and to set up the inputs and outputs necessary to make each and every pixel turn on and off, in the right color, in the right order, all at the same time! It's a lot of work, but the end results make it all worth it!
- August - October - Building and Set-Up: These months are busy with building new props, wiring and building new controllers, and installing all the lights and props on the house and in the yard. Once everything is in place, it takes a couple weeks of debugging issues, correcting layouts, and ensuring everything works from lights to sound! We run a fun test show for Halloween as a dry-run for all our neighbors!
- November - December - It's Showtime!: Final preparations are made before our big opening night! We invite all our neighbors and friends to join us across the street for a fun evening of hot cocoa, games, and then our main event: Parsons Light Up Night! Every brings a lawn chair and settles in for a great and fun show!
Who we are:
Parsons Lights was founded in 2023 by the Parsons family in Dalton, GA. It all started with a passion for Christmas lights and a desire to spread holiday cheer to their community. What began as a small display in their front yard has now grown into a highly anticipated annual event, drawing in visitors from all over the area. Each year, the Parsons family adds new and creative elements to their light show, making it a must-see attraction for families and friends during the holiday season. As a family-owned and operated venture, Parsons Lights takes pride in creating a magical and festive experience for all who visit.