BALTIMORE COUNTY — It’s the most wonderful time of the year and what better way to start it than at Upperco Yuletide Village, a Christmas light display constructed by the volunteers from the Upperco Fire Company.
It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.
The set up starts in October, where volunteers spend hundreds of hours creating the perfect Christmas experience.
"When we start, it’s a bare piece of plywood, everything comes off, it's put away every year. So, it's every night of the week, every weekend from the beginning of October until about 2:00 p.m., on Black Friday when we open up,” said Scott Warner, who is part of the Upperco Yuletide Village Committee.
Over 60 Christmas displays are put up around the village drive through with close to a million lights.
For $25, families can fill the car for a half mile long breathtaking drive.
"This is one of our biggest fundraisers, we have several fundraisers throughout the year and being a volunteer fire company this is how we make our money,” said Warner.
Moving indoors is the second part of the experience where you'll find decorated trees, a bite to eat and the train garden. There is a large holiday display allowing families to interact by seeking hidden treasures.
Warner says every year the display is taken down and put back together the following year, but feels the effort is a labor of love.
"It's a love of life when you do it, you put it together and then when you get done and you see the children come in when you see the senior citizens come in when anybody comes in and you just stand there and it brings back their childhood,” one person said.
It's the fourth year of the Upperco Yuletide Village. Some families say they've been coming since the beginning.
"We usually start the holiday season like that, we've been bringing him, he's three now and starting in the beginning came before that. It's just been a great tradition for us with family and now to bring him and obviously he loves to press the buttons and see everything go in the garden and really enjoys it,” said Ryan Warner, who attended the event.
While others are starting new family traditions.
"I think it's one of the best local activities for them and for us this is our second year with our kids and so it's kind of started to become a tradition,” said Jenna Hugg, a parent at the event.
Sunday is when you'll catch Santa sneaking in for pictures and interaction with the children.
The village runs on Friday and Saturday from 5:30-10:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 5:30-9:00 p.m., wrapping up on Dec. 30.
