The story · Year 02

A family tradition
in progress.

Lights on Quail is a one-person show running out of a yard on Quail Creek Avenue in Newton, Kansas. It's part soldering project, part Christmas card, and — underneath all of it — a thank-you for the reason we're celebrating at all.

The reason for the season

It was never really
about the lights.

Some of these songs point straight at Him. Others are just for the kid in the back seat. But the reason there's anything to celebrate is the same either way: Christmas is the night God stepped into the world He made.

That's what the lights are for. Everything else is just how we throw the party.

If one person tunes in and has their heart opened to our risen Savior, it will have all been worth it.

This is my second year running the show with music. It's been a huge learning experience — and while there are still a few issues I'm working through, I'm incredibly excited to share the display with you.

I've learned so much throughout this journey: from sequencing and wiring to timing, layout, and show setup. I'm already looking forward to improving and expanding in the years to come.

My hope is that this show brings joy and wonder to everyone who watches — and that the words of these songs land on somebody who needed to hear them.

Thank you for supporting this new tradition at Lights on Quail.

— The Quail Creek house
Newton, Kansas · December 2026
See the display →
How we got here

From one blue spruce
to twenty-two thousand pixels.

2023
The spark

The blue spruce goes up

The big blue spruce out front was the first thing I ever lit, along with the dwarf spruces beside it. Started playing with individually controllable pixels that year — and realized every single bulb could be its own idea.

2024
Lights up

A display, but no soundtrack

The yard went up and looked the part, but nothing was sequenced to music yet. Good year for learning how the wiring, the weather and the extension cords actually behave.

2025
Season 01

The year the yard started singing

First season with music. Sequencing turned out to be its own craft entirely — every effect placed by hand against the waveform, one song at a time.

2026
Season 02 · Now

Bigger yard, twelve songs

Twenty-two thousand pixels across three controllers, a wider layout, and a twelve-song setlist being cut through the off-season. On to whatever year three turns into.

FAQ

Questions,
answered.

The ones people shout out their car window, paraphrased. If yours isn't here, send an email or a Facebook message — I read everything.

What are the best viewing times?+
Weeknights after 7 PM are quietest. Weekends get busier around 8 PM. The show runs on a loop, so there's no "start time" — pull up, tune in, and you'll catch a full song within four minutes.
How do I tune in to the music?+
89.9 FM on your car stereo. It's a short-range broadcast — you'll pick it up from about one house away. If your radio struggles, try pulling forward a few feet.
Do I see all twelve songs in one visit?+
No — the setlist is split across alternating nights, so each night runs about 18–20 minutes before it loops. Come twice on different nights and you'll have seen the whole season.
Can I get out of the car?+
Please stay in your car, and keep your windows up. The yard is full of cables, and this is a residential street — the neighbors tolerate the show, which is a kindness I'd rather not spend. Keep the volume where only your car can hear it; I don't want to be listening to it from inside my own house either.
How long does a song take to sequence?+
40–60 hours for a new one, depending on complexity. A three-minute song becomes thousands of tiny keyframes — every color, every sweep, every burst has to be placed by hand in xLights.
What happens if it's raining?+
The show still runs. Rain, snow, wind — it all keeps going. A power outage is the only thing that actually stops it.
Can I request a song?+
Not from the car — the show runs a fixed loop. But suggestions are genuinely welcome: send them over by email or on Facebook. Sequences get built in the off-season, and what people ask for shapes the next setlist.
Gratitude

None of this
is a solo act.

Design & sequencing

The homeowner,
with a lot of coffee

Patient co-conspirator

My wife,
who lets the cables live in the garage

The community

Everyone in the xLights community
who answers a stranger’s questions
Say hi

Questions, kind words,
or a song suggestion?

YouTube
@LightsOnQuail
Email
brandon@
lightsonquail.com
Facebook
Lights on Quail