NOTE: This is the last year that the Hoggard Brothers will be doing their lights show. If you want to see them in person, they will continue the tradition through New Year’s Day. Good news, however. The Town of Windsor will take over the display, with the family’s blessing, and move it to a new location within the town next year.

This is the original version of Ken’s “People and Places” segment about the Windsor wonderland of lights.

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WINDSOR, N.C. (WNCT) — As the weather turns colder, a familiar sight can be seen in Bertie County.

It’s that time of the year for the Hoggard brothers of Windsor spring into action.

Best places to see Christmas lights here and in NC

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“Most people call us by the Christmas Light Men,” said Therman Hoggard.

Why you might ask?

“When everything is lit completely up, it’s over a half a million lights,” said Therman.

“Everybody in this area knows about Hoggard’s Christmas,” said Sherman Hoggard.

“You can see it I know from miles away,” said Therman.

“It’s a lot more than what everybody expects, and they really enjoy it,” said Sherman.

Every year, like clockwork, with the flip of a switch, the Hoggard Family Christmas Lights display comes to life.

“I promise you; you can’t miss it with the glow in the sky because you definitely can see a glow once we turn it all on,” said Therman.

It’s a year-round labor of love, one the family does for one specific reason.

“It really got started in 1991,” said Therman. My oldest daughter, Carolyn, was involved in an accident. She skipped school one day and never came home. In 2000, I built the angel and my other two daughters, Jennifer and Nicky, and my wife, we all sat down and built little pieces of Christmas and that’s how we got started.”

Christmas was Carolyn’s favorite holiday.

“We never forget her,” said Therman.

“It’s a big relief for me,” said Therman. It gives me something to do. It keeps your mind off a lot of it even though it’s been quite a few years since my daughter passed away. It’s therapy.”

But perhaps the biggest gift of all is being an inspiration to others.

“On the worst of days, we’ve had people come in here and tell us that I was so down today, but just coming in and seeing the glory that y’all give us with the glow of all the lights, it picks my spirit up,” said Therman.