Arata honors late father with Christmas display
Published 4:52 am Saturday, December 2, 2017
The Christmas display outside the law office of Arata and Arata came about as a way for the younger, Bill, to honor the elder, Don, after he passed away in 2007.
“My father, for many years, gave the largest office Christmas party in town,” Bill Arata said. “Hundreds of people came. So, after my father passed away, I felt this was a great way to honor his memory.”
Now, hundreds of people visit the blue-lit yard with other Christmas lights and recorded Christmas carols, making it merry.
“The unique thing about our display is that the great majority of items were re-purposed,” Arata said. “Starting after Thanksgiving, we start getting gifted. We get calls from people who no longer want to put up their own displays, but who want to donate them to us.”
He said LED lights, now, to enable them to continue putting on the show. He has also added a video of Santa leaving presents under a Christmas tree, and he has 25 lasers on site that even project images from the movie, “The Christmas Story.”
The wonderland of lights and re-purposed sleighs and Santas, sometimes get visits from the “real” Santa Claus. Arata said everybody is welcome to walk through his lighted display.
“I don’t mind who uses it,” he said. “In fact, I get tickled when they do.”
Arata added that the Serenity Garden in the back of the space is named Don’s Garden.