Light 'em up: Synchronized light displays becoming more popular since pandemic

Western Pennsylvania saw its first decent snowfall Dec. 18. But it’s been “snowing” at Dr. Lou DiToppa’s house for a while now.

DiToppa of North Huntingdon has been ramping up his Christmas decoration display for a few years. It began with brightly lit snowflakes around his house, front yard and pool. It has expanded to fill the family’s whole yard.

On the right side, Santa waves to passing cars. On the left side, his doppelganger is climbing a ladder toward the chimney. And drivers who tune in to 88.1 FM as they go by can watch a light display synchronized with the music.

In the fall, neighbors frequently arrive home from work to see DiToppa hanging out an upstairs window — using a safety harness he designed — affixing LED snowflakes on the house.

DiToppa is one of about 1,600 Pennsylvania residents whose holiday light display is powered by New York-based company Light-O-Rama. The company was founded in 2002, but Vice President Aubrey Kall said business really ramped up during the covid pandemic.

“It was something safe that people could go out and enjoy, since they stayed in their cars to listen to the music,” Kall said.

The DiToppa family also is raising money for a charity with its display. Visitors can use a QR code on one of several signs outside DiToppa’s Nathan Drive home and donate to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which picks up mortgage payments for families who’ve lost a loved one, whether they are a first responder or served in the military. The nonprofit also has built specially-adapted homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

“We thought it was a really great organization, plus 95% of the money they raise goes to charity,” DiToppa said.

Just a few miles to the southwest, Don Zombek of Elizabeth Township isn’t just running a Light-o-Rama-powered display. He spends the majority of the year programming a 20-minute holiday show that also includes animatronics that talk to one another.

“It’s probably about 300 to 400 hours programming the lights, and, for the animatronics, you have to program every movement of the character’s mouth,” Zombek said.

This will be the Zombek family’s 10th year creating their massive display, and, while they started with equipment from a company called Animated Lighting, they’ve moved to a Light-o-Rama-powered display.

“The animatronics — we have two snowmen and two elves — run better off the Light-o-Rama software,” Zombek said.

Over the years, the Zombeks have raised more than $100,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation through donations from visitors.

“We’ve been keeping track over the years, and on our opening night this year, Nov. 25, we hit $100,000,” Zombek said.

Both Zombek and DiToppa credit their families with inspiring their love of holiday lights.

“We’ve always been involved in a big light display with my father and grandfather,” Zombek said.

DiToppa can remember his father building a large wooden manger when he was growing up in McKeesport’s Christy Park neighborhood.

“It was a life-size manger, and he used to haul it up onto the roof and put a spotlight on it,” DiToppa said.

The DiToppas’ decorations have earned them the best outdoor display award two years running in the local Penn’s Woods Civic Association decorating contest.

One thing he doesn’t have? Inflatables.

“My decorations are all metal-framed and sturdy,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about wind or rain. They’re going to stay up.”

Light-o-Rama displays are highly customizable. Users can do all the programming on their own, or they can order a flash drive preloaded with holiday music and light synchronization.

Kall said one of its most popular items is a 16-channel “starter package,” which lets homeowners use their own LED lights and sync them to music. The package includes a low-frequency FM transmitter to broadcast music for cars passing by.

“It only broadcasts a few hundred feet, so, unless you’re on the same street as someone else using it, there’s no risk of overlapping,” Kall said.

DiToppa said all the work that goes into the display is a labor of love.

“Every weekend, I can’t wait to take my necktie off, put my work clothes on and get to it,” he said.

Zombek said, every January, when it’s time to take the lights down, he asks himself why he does all of this work each year.

“It’s the people we meet,” he said. “A couple nights ago, I got to talk with a 104-year-old war veteran who stopped by to watch the display. You hear their stories about seeing Christmas lights when they were younger. It’s really special.”