Calling all kids: Here’s a chance to decorate someone’s Boalsburg home for the holidays
One of the most innovative minds in Centre County might be facing his stiffest challenge yet: Matching wits with the children he tasked with designing the Christmas lights on his Boalsburg home.
Spud Marshall plans to transform the page of a coloring book into a vibrant holiday lights display every night of December. Do you want his family’s tree to look like a candy cane while the bushes look like a shimmering rainbow? He’ll try to make that happen.
Perhaps solid, classic colors or stripes is your preferred aesthetic. Marshall has even pulled off a lava lamp design. He hasn’t been stumped yet, but nearly was by a child who wanted to see a cat’s face on the tree.
“I live for moments like that, where a kid sees their tiny dream can actually become a reality. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to this project,” Marshall said. “I’m a big believer in that in all aspects of our life, not just turning a coloring book into a Christmas light display. What you dream is possible if you really commit your mind to it.”
Parents can print a copy of the coloring book sheet or pick one up at 926 Anna St. Children can decorate the tree, two bushes and garland in any way they see fit.
Once the page is returned, Marshall plans to coordinate a night with parents to bring the coloring page to life.
“They’ve got a high bar,” Marshall said of children’s expectations for the display to match what they created. “... I feel a big responsibility to them to match whatever their creativity is in real life.”
The Lancaster County native and Penn State alumnus has called Happy Valley home for the better part of two decades, save for a year he lived in Sweden.
The 35-year-old has been behind several social ventures in State College, including the co.space, 3 Dots Downtown and the now-closed New Leaf Initiative. His latest project takes him out of the creative role and instead hands the keys to children.
He tossed around the idea for several years, often finding himself inspired by the large holiday light displays in the county that are synced to music or are otherwise a larger production. Those displays, Marshall said, felt unattainable.
But then he found programmable lights that opened a new world. The seed was planted, the first few years were spent tuning his craft and gaining confidence he could match the unending creativity of children.
Marshall said he has “zero idea” how the project will evolve, but that’s part of what makes it whimsical. The goal, he said, is giving the community a “little spark of excitement.”
“Hopefully it’s not biting off more than I can chew,” Marshall said with a laugh. “However, if I get a ginormous stream of kids I’m going to have to figure out what to do when I have like 200 drawings and maybe this becomes a yearlong project, which I’m not sure what my neighbors will think of that.”
