After a one-year hiatus, Derek Durkac is back with Durkac Festival of Lights, collecting for the Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive (Sudbury Food Bank).
Durkac explains that he moved from New Sudbury to the Donovan/Cambrian Heights area last year, but still managed to put up 10,000 lights for Christmas 2020. However, he did not collect donations last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said his goal this year was to reach the “Griswold record” of 25,000 lights, a goal he has achieved.
“My Christmas light display is located on 90 feet of my front yard, with 25,000 Christmas lights, 25 handmade cutouts, gingerbread house and Santa's workshop,” said Durkac in an email to Sudbury.com.
“Throughout the year I manage to design, create, cut out and hand paint new characters from wood. I have a little bit of everything in my display for kids and adults to enjoy (Star Wars, elves, Rudolph and Grinch, to name a few).”
In 2019, the Durkac Festival of Lights collected $719.25 in cash donations and 1,921 food items.
This year, Durkac would like to break the 2019 donation record, “especially during these difficult times of COVID-19.”
A box for food items will be set up at the end of the driveway, at Durkac’s home at 48 Severn St. (Donovan/Cambrian Heights area, off of Burton Drive).
The lights are now on from 6-9 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, until Dec. 26.
There will be special appearances from Santa Claus 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Dec. 3, Dec. 11, Dec. 12, Dec. 22 and Dec. 23.
“Cash donations are accepted only when Santa Claus arrives,” said Durkac in the email. “It brings me great joy to see the kids and adults smiling faces when viewing the lights and especially when Santa Claus arrives.”
You can follow the Durkac Festival of Lights on Facebook.
