Wachtels carry on a Christmas tradition for 66th year
For 66 years the Christmas display at Spring Walk Farms near Big Prairie has entertained many visitors.
Starting every Thanksgiving eve, thousands of people bring their families to the rural Nashville area of Holmes County.
Thousands of cars make the trip from near and far to see the Christmas display along both sides of the road that continues through the driveway of Spring Walk Farms, 13079 Township Road 503, Big Prairie. Some even make multiple trips every Christmas season to view the sprawling drive-through display.
Bill Wachtel was 10 in 1953, the first year his parents, Floyd and Eileen, began hanging lights around their working dairy farm. They started out small, but each year the display kept expanding and moving farther and farther out with many additions over the last 66 years.
Every October with the help of family and friends, the Wachtels start the process of putting up the decorations. They work on it as time allows between farm chores, but by Thanksgiving eve, they are ready to start the show, which includes Christmas music from 5-11 p.m. every night of the week.
“This year we added signs for the Ohio State University, the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians," said Beverly Wachtel, Bill's wife. "Three years ago our son Kurt got a video of Santa that we run in the house. Traffic backs up as people watch Santa in the window. He looks so real; people think it's my husband Bill dressed up.”
The display features approximately 50,000 lights, over 100 spotlights and more than 400 wooden cartoon figures from Little Bo Peep to characters from "Frozen."
“This year we added the Nashville Church of Christ. The Alexanders gave us a photo, and Jane Bilek, an area artist, painted it. She does a wonderful job," Wachtel said. "Bill makes the wooden cutouts for her. Jane also restores some of the older paintings that are getting too much wear and tear. Sometimes we retire a piece that is too worn out. We don't have any idea how many people see our display every year. We tried to keep track one year, but it didn't work. It's busy on the weekends, but traffic picks up as the holiday gets closer, and it starts to get busier during the week too."
Neighbor Lois Fowler said, “My dad's family (Wendall and June Lang) always gathered there on Christmas Eve for food and gifts. We (cousins) often talk about our girls singing carols at the Wachtel's as people drove by. Lots of good memories.”
"For years it was our tradition to go to Wachtel's on Christmas Eve," Millersburg resident Ellen Kelly-Crayton said. "We probably did this for 20 years or more. Later when I had grandchildren, I took the two young girls and let them stand in the car and opened the sun roof so they could see out. It was snowing lightly. Their excitement and awe over the lights and the forbidden thrill level over standing with their heads out is a best memory for them and me. We still talk about it every Christmas, and we still go every Christmas Eve. Magic!”
When asked how long it takes to disassemble the display, Wachtel said, “It goes a lot faster than putting it up. We have storage all over the farm. Eileen Wachtel was organized. She had everything labeled and knew where it all went.”
There is no charge, but donations are appreciated. Hours for the display are seven days a week from 5-11 p.m.