MISSION VIEJO : 2 Families Dream Up Christmas Light Show

Almost until midnight, the cars cruise slowly along normally quiet Cervantes Lane, the riders gasping at the side-by-side Christmas light shows proudly displayed by two neighboring families.

For about three weeks during the Christmas holiday, life changes for the Walkers, the Liesers and their neighbors, but nobody’s complaining.

“You don’t have time to do anything else,” said Scott Walker, standing outside his home greeting strangers who came to gawk appreciatively. “But it’s good for the community to have a place to go. It helps build community spirit.”

The homes at 25172 and 25162 Cervantes Lane won top awards in the city Home Holiday Lighting Contest. For Walker, it was the third time his family has won the honor in the five years they’ve put up the light show.

Walker’s theme is Santa’s Fitness Center. His entire front lawn and roof covered in cotton snow, the display features animated cartoon reindeer that haul up barbells and dutifully drop into sets of deep knee bends.

Even Santa gets into the act, pumping huge bags of presents attached to an iron bar.

Next door, Michele and Garry Lieser strung together thousands of multicolored lights into a religious display featuring wire-framed angels.

Walker said there is no competition between the two families. The neighbors started their displays about five years ago after jointly stringing lights on a tree between the two homes.

It takes Walker, wife Debbie and two helpers about 120 hours to build the display, although Walker said the job “gets easier every year because you add things to it like building blocks.”

People who gathered in front of the two homes on a pre-Christmas evening this week said they appreciated the effort.

“There’s got to be about a trillion lights here,” said Lake Forest resident Steve Hawkins, who brought his wife and two children. “My kids love this and I’m glad these people take the trouble. This is the kind of stuff that puts you in the holiday spirit.”