Laureano family lights up Christmas

The Maples

Orlando and Priscilla Laureano really light up the holiday season.

Over the past 20 years, their home in the Maples area has been recognized as one of the most beautifully decorated in northwest Winnipeg, featuring over 22,000 lights in a range of colours, themes, and scenes, including a vivid nativity set and a winter landscape. Since the house is on a corner lot, the east side and the rear of the house are also decorated, including the garage.

The Laureanos hail from the Philippines, where the Christmas season can last for several months. That’s one reason Orlando switches on the Christmas lights every year on Nov. 1, and they glow every night until March.

“I put lots of time in planning, measuring, and visualizing before I add fixtures or string the lights. Every year I add some changes for a new look. This usually means a few hundred more lights,” Orlando said with a chuckle.

The ‘Christmas house’ is located at 2 Kenville Crest, just north of the junction of Adsum Drive and Manila Road.

No surprise here – cars stop every day so the occupants and drivers can take pictures of the light show.

Storing the fixtures, scaffolding, and boxes of string lights is not a problem. Orlando said they fit perfectly in his garage and in the shed.

In May, Orlando and Priscilla bring out their front yard summer displays of a varieties of flowering shrubs and vines. A popular attraction is two ceramic children sitting on a bench and fishing with their rods. Other fixtures in the include old farm carts, wheels and a hand water pump.

“In the summer I try make a small park, the complete opposite to the Christmas display,” Orlando said.

“It’s all about being happy at Christmas. And the summer display gives much joy, especially hearing the nice comments from neighbours and passers-by.”