Mailbox for Santa, helipad of lights are part of the elaborate holiday display at this Centre County home
While there are plenty of places to see extravagant holiday lights throughout Centre County, Daniel Forster has set his home apart by providing some help to Santa, too.
The home at 3051 W. Whitehall Road is lit up by more than 26,000 bulbs, and when visitors check it out, they’re also welcome to leave a letter for Santa in a special “North Pole mailbox.” The Forster family put up the mailbox for the first time last year and received 15 letters. So far this year, they have received almost 40 and with the hard work of Daniel and his wife, Tonya, replies are still being sent.
“(The letters) are customized for every child. Each child asks a different question, like ‘Can reindeer really fly’ or ‘How old is Santa Claus?’” Forster said.
Being inspired by the childhood memories of Koziar’s Christmas Village, located in Berks County, Forster puts his lights up every year starting in September.
“I saw that as a kid, and thought, ‘I gotta decorate everything.’ Growing up I would just decorate my bedroom, cover it in lights,” he said.
This year’s display stretches from the roof to the lawn and even the slides in the backyard. Lights of all colors frame the house, along with lit-up reindeer and other Christmas icons. The front yard includes a “helipad” of green and red lights, a nod to Forster’s job as a flight medic.
“As I and my crew members are flying over, transporting patients, we have something to look at that’s unique to us,” he said.
He encourages visitors to drive by the house, which is lit nightly, as well as others across Centre County. He’s an active member of the Facebook group Centre County Christmas Lights, which has grown to more than 2,600 members.
‘I’m kind of jealous of others,” he said. “They get to drive by (my house) more and enjoy this more. I only get to see it when I leave and come home.”
Forster said his boys — 3-year-old Zayden and 1-year-old Flynn — have provided inspiration for the elaborate lights, as well as the North Pole mailbox.
“It’s just fun doing little things for kids ... have them believe or keep believing in Santa Claus,” he said.
