St. Matthew Lutheran Church 2015 Christmas Festival of Lights Features Free Drive-Thru Display of 65,000 Lights

From the Town of Bel Air:

Back again for 2015, St Matthew Lutheran Church will be providing a free, “drive-thru” display of 65,000 festive Christmas lights synchronized to holiday music, including The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Pastor Blaise Sedney, working with local Bel Air resident, Jim Kurtz, designed a display of lights that are synchronized to holiday music which can be heard on your car radio as you drive past the display. Brad Paulsen, another neighbor of the parish, is also assisting with the display this year.
Installation of the lights for this year’s festival took place over the course of eight Saturdays by volunteers consisting of St. Matthew parishioners and friends for a total of about 500 people hours. The display is located on the side of the SMLC campus facing away from Churchville Road (Route 22). Drivers should use the main entrance on Churchville Road at the intersection of Brierhill Drive across from the Walgreens pharmacy. As drivers enter, St. Matthew asks for food or cash donations to benefit their Food Pantry.

Weather permitting, the display will run every night starting at 6:00 pm, beginning Friday, November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving). There may be a few nights when the display times will be adjusted to accommodate other church functions. To check the current schedule, call 410-838-3178, visit www.smlc.org, or check out the official facebook page for St. Matthew (St. Matthew Lutheran Church-church/religious organization).
Join us on weekend evenings for hot cocoa and cookies in our Narthex. On various weekends throughout the light season, we will also have live entertainment and activities inside for the enjoyment of our guests. Details for the special event evenings will be shared on our facebook page as they are scheduled.

Fun Facts:

-Total lights: 65,000 (all LEDs) (Last year’s display featured 43,000)
-Power consumption: 6,300 watts
-Extension cords: 2 miles (approx 10,000 feet)
-A tunnel of lights has been added to this year’s display.

Guests are encouraged to walk through the tunnel and into the Narthex on weekend nights to enjoy cocoa and cookies.