Props Team Presents 19th Annual Holiday Light Display to Raise Money for Make-A-Wish Foundation

Festival husband and wife duo Ben Hohman and Marielle Boneau have gone all out once again with their holiday display, bringing lots of light––literally––to Cedar City and its community.

This is the 19th year that Properties Director Hohman and Assistant Properties Director Boneau have decked out their house at 26 North 1150 West in Cedar City. The display lights up every night from 5:30-10 pm and will run until December 31st, weather permitting.

The Display

The display has raised over $32,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation in the 18 years it’s been running. In addition to receiving donations from the community, the couple also donates the value of their December power bill to the organization.

And lots of power is needed. An electrician installed an extra 120 amps of electricity in the back of the house just for the Christmas lights, which is four times the amount used inside. It’s safe to say that Hohman and Boneau love Christmas a whole “watt.”

3,000 more lights have been added this year, bringing the total to over 68,000 lights, which are choreographed to dance with 20 Christmas songs. The display also includes 70 plastic blow-molds, 30 lighted animal sculptures, over 55 inflatables, a homemade nine-foot wreath, and wire-frame animated sculptures.

Visitors can walk through Candy Cane Lane, taking in the light display in both the front and back yards. The display includes Santa’s Flight School, where reindeer are learning to fly, the Christmas Zoo, Winter Disco Land, Santa’s Workshop, Gingerbread Land, and more.

The Beginning

The idea to collect donations came about almost a decade ago. Hohman helps with the annual Make-A-Wish Christmas party and is a trained Wish Granter, so his involvement with the organization goes back a long time.

“We help decorate for the Christmas party each year, and we decorate the house as a fundraiser for the organization,” Hohman said.

That first year they were encouraged to become more involved with the organization after their friend Heather was impressed with their decorating, and so the couple started to collect donations at their light display.

The “Why”

When asked why the couple continues to put in over 700 hours to put up and take down the display each year, Hohman and Boneau said they do it for the community.

“The community has grown to love it,” Hohman said. “It’s become a tradition for a lot of families in town.”

“It started small, but grew quickly,” Hohman explained. “I tell everyone that I do it for Make-A-Wish and the children, but anyone who knows me, knows I do it because I enjoy it. I love the holidays.”

Boneau joked that because the display is for a good cause, it “legitimizes our Christmas craziness.” She comments, “Call it ‘crazy,’ we call it ‘passionate Christmas cheer!’” Either way, the Utah Shakespeare Festival is proud that this Props team continues to go above and beyond with the display.

Come see the display, “lighten” up, and get in the Christmas spirit. We promise, it’s sure to be merry—and definitely bright.

Donations can be made at the display or at their website. While on this page, check out video footage of the past 15 years of the display. Donations are accepted directly on the Make-a-Wish website here, as well as through Venmo @benslightdisplay.