Ho, Ho, Home for the Holidays
New Albany’s Bobby Owens lights up the night with love
BY LAURA ROSS | PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN WATSON
He’s been called the Clark Griswold of New
Albany more than once.
Bobby Owens doesn’t mind the reference to
the beloved character from the film National
Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation one bit. “I’ve
been a Christmas nut since I was a little boy,” he
laughed, “I can’t get enough of it.”
Owens, 64, decorates his New Albany home with
more than 60,000 Christmas lights each year. And,
inflatable characters. And, trains. And, animated
characters. And, so much more.
Owens began his decorating journey 30 years
ago on a much smaller scale, but the holiday
spirit took hold and each year, his collection of
Christmas décor grew. His mother loved Christmas
and Owens told her, “‘One day I’ll decorate like
you did, but will do even more,’” he said. “When I
bought my first house, I started with a few strings
of lights on the bushes and windows, but then I
sold that house and got married, and it started
getting bigger every year.”
Today, his house wows neighbors and draws
crowds of holiday spectators from near and far.
Owens begins plotting his holiday magic in
September. He makes a list and checks it more than
twice, testing lights, replacing bulbs and making
strategic piles of decorations in preparation for
placing them in the yard and his large garage.
Working alone most of the time, he starts placing
things the second week of October and climbs on
the roof to add the lights while the weather is still
relatively pleasant.
The switch is flipped Thanksgiving weekend,
and the house glows until just after New Year.
Owens, who has worked at Koetter Woodworking
in Starlight for 27 years, loves to craft wood into
EXTOL : DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020
27