Friday Night Christmas Lights: Local decorating business turns into holiday staple

NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) — 9OYS is spreading holiday cheer in a new series- Friday Night Christmas Lights! We’ll take you to businesses or homes every Friday in December, sharing elaborate sights of the season.

When it comes to decorations, one of the more popular ways for sharing the spirit is by lighting up homes, whether that be inside or out.

Let There Be Light is a unique business brightening homes this month. It’s beautiful displays and booming business didn’t happen overnight. For nearly a decade, Travis Plymell and his group of Christmas lighting professionals have been decorating homes and businesses for the holidays.

“We got a little slow one winter and said ‘Hey, why don’t we give it a try’. Ten years ago we gave it a try and have been doing it ever since,” said Travis Plymell, Owner of Let There Be Light.

Each season his workers travel around the eastern part of the state, perfecting their trade and making sure not a single bulb is out of place.

“I think we ordered around 40,000 bulbs. We’ve got 45,000 feet of power wire. Probably 5,000 plugs and 500 timers,” Plymell said. “We go through a lot of material.”

It started as a side job for Plymell, to bring in some extra cash for presents. Since then, it has exploded into hundreds of requests and breathtaking results.

“It’s pretty awesome. It’s really awesome actually,” Plymell said with a smile. “I’ve got some really good help. These guys really care and that goes a long way.

“It’s kind of like that scene from the Griswolds when he’s plugging the power cord in together and just lights up.”

Mark Held loved the results with his house, and others have noticed, too.

“We see a lot more people driving up and down our street now since Travis started decorating our home for the holiday season,” Held said. “I think it’s a destination for a lot of people in the neighborhood. I think they feel a lot more in the spirit of the holiday.”

This year, more people are expected to enjoy the lights from a distance because of the coronavirus. It’s a holiday festivity that allows families to be together.

“People can appreciate the beauty of the holidays and the beauty of lights from a distance. It’s something safe to do,” Held said.

With just a few weeks left until Christmas, Plymell and his crew are busy lighting up to 13 homes per day.

“You know, we have fun, they have fun, it’s good for everybody!” said Plymell. “Being able to brighten somebody’s day, especially the kids, it’s always a good thing.”

Not only do they put the lights up, but they provide upkeep, replacing bulbs that go out, and take everything down after the holidays.