Christmas display that used to adorn the Wey Mansion now lights up Brad Short’s home

It’s hard to believe that the Christmas light display that used to draw crowds to the Wey Mansion on Park Place has been successfully transplanted onto a Cape Cod with a pitched roof near 13th and Woodlawn.

But all the lights and decorations (minus the inflatables) made a successful debut last year, and homeowner Brad Short is hoping even more people find their way to his holiday hacienda at 1122 N. Lawrence Court this Christmas. He’s picked up $3,000 more in decor since last Christmas, and the collection that he’d already amassed before the Wey Mansion haul is thrown into the mix as well.

"It goes up and out," Short said, referring to platforms of wood and pergolas of PVC pipe that he’s built to hold the display — including a Plexiglas case for Santa Claus that he manages to place at the peak of the roof in an all-day project.

“It was quite the attention-getter” last year, Short said. “It was phenomenal. I just loved it."

He received his first strings of lights from his dad when he was 5, and carrying on the Wey Mansion tradition is a natural for him. He wants even more visitors this year.

Every house in Short’s cul-de-sac is an addition to the show, and the lights have been programmed to music — 15 songs that can be heard on the property and also on the radio at 106.9 FM.

Short starts putting up the lights in October and took a week’s vacation before Thanksgiving to give more time to it. He manages to store the masses of lights, figures and structures into a relatively small room in the basement — albeit all the way to the ceiling. Also in the room are scads of brand-new Christmas lights from which Short "shops" to give his display a new look from year to year. He scouts sales at stores as well as garage and estate sales for good deals. And for those bulbs that don’t light up, he has a gun that relights them from Ace Hardware.

When asked whether he had any advice for other outdoor Christmas decorators, he said, "It’s hard for me to give tips because I’m out of control."

But he will say this: “Do what you’re comfortable with.” Three miles of extension cords is what he’s comfortable with. He’s all but certified as an electrician and has worked for years at Star Lumber.

But if everybody put up lights of some kind, "think what a difference it would make,” Short said. “It’s for the kids. To keep the tradition going, that’s the main thing."

The Lawrence Court lights will be on nightly through Jan. 1. Short turns the display on at dusk and leaves it on until 10 or 10:30 weeknights and 11 or 11:30 p.m. on weekends. To get to 1122 N. Lawrence Court from 13th and Woodlawn, go east on 13th, then south on Lawrence, then east on Lawrence Court.

This story was originally published November 25, 2011 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Christmas display that used to adorn the Wey Mansion now lights up Brad Short’s home."