The Santa of Fairview Avenue aims to dazzle neighborhood with light show
December 14, 2023 at 1:24 a.m.
Charles “Chuck” Lauria’s first holiday light show was in 2012, and despite the amount of time since then, his motivation has been the same.
“I do it for the kids,” he told the Westmore News that year. Now, 11 years later, they’re still the driving force behind his display.
Lauria is hosting “Chuck’s Christmas Light Show” on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at his home at 135 Fairview Ave. The performance will start at 7 p.m. and last for approximately 30 minutes.
The Lauria household, brightly lit, displays some of the lights that will be used during “Chuck’s Christmas Light Show.” The complete show will feature more lights, decorations and music.By David Tapia
After starting the tradition of putting up and programming lights for a show in 2012, he steadily improved it for six years. Originally creating the display on a whim, he’d invite just his friends to see what he could do with his newfound hobby. But the crowd grew into dozens by 2018.
However, that show was the last until this year—Lauria has been on hiatus.
While he had intended to take a break from putting them on, it wasn’t meant to last this long. “I was going to come back stronger in 2020 because of the number,” he said. “But issue after issue kept coming up.” Fully prepared to entertain the kids of his neighborhood, or any others who want to stop by, he’s ready to astonish them with the newest iteration of his winter wonderland.
Next week’s show will feature approximately 10,000 Christmas lights, as well as flood lights and glimmering strips. Lauria plans on dazzling spectators as the lights are programmed to shimmer, flash and sparkle in synchronization to music and other sounds. Coding the illuminations has taken him countless hours, by his account.
“It’s kind of straightforward,” Lauria said, speaking on the programming of the show. “It’s not as complex as it sounds. It’s not hard, but it’s very tedious.” Using specially made computer controllers, Lauria employs software to turn on, off and fade the thousands of lights. It’s a project that he’s been working on for two months.
“I started planning it in October,” he said. “And we started decorating right after Thanksgiving.” Hundreds of feet of cables and lights are wrapped around his home. Fortunately, he has some help getting them there.
“My wife and my three stepchildren really contribute with the decorating,” he said.
His wife, Veronica, is proud of the work her husband does. “He likes to make people smile,” she said. “And if he’s happy, I’m happy.” Though his stepchildren, 13-year-old Patrick, 15-year-old Ivan Jr. and 16-year-old Yasmen, are slightly less enthusiastic.
“They’re kind of ‘meh’ about it,” Lauria said. “I think they’ll understand it once they see it. But it’s something I do for them.”
His motivation to design a show has always been to give something to the children of his community. “I’ve always made the point that it’s for the kids,” he said. “A lot of them can’t do something like this, so I choose to do it for them.” During the spectacle on Wednesday, he’ll be handing out small treats to those in attendance, something he’s done at previous shows.
“I’ve given out little candy canes and in 2018, it was little bells for kids,” Lauria recalled.
He puts in just as much effort as Santa, taking time off from his work as a delivery driver to make sure every detail is just right. “I’m on it every day,” he said. “Because I make my own hours with Uber, I push that aside. I’m not even working while I’m doing this.”
But while he said that he’s mostly motivated by the kids of the community, he’s also thinking about the child within.
“I made a promise to myself when I was younger that I was never going to grow old,” he said. “The show is just my youth saying, ‘hello.’”
Though he’s going to great lengths to bring the spectacle back, Lauria is unsure if it will continue beyond this year.
“My mother wants to get married, and she’s been talking about selling the house,” Lauria explained. He grew up on South Regent Street before moving to his current home on Fairview Avenue, where he’s spent the last 20 years. “I’ve been here for so long, but I don’t know where I’m going.”
But regardless of the thought of leaving looming over his head, he’s focused on Christmas present. “I’m putting all that behind me, and I’m doing this the way I always do,” he said.
Lauria expects a good turnout for the show, and he has big plans for those who attend saying: “It’s going to be completely different from anything I’ve ever done.” He was vague with specifics, maintaining that he wants as much as possible to be a surprise.
“It’s my gift to the kids,” he said. “I think laughing is a very important part in life, and I want to make people laugh.”
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