'Berry' Christmas: Local Light Show Brightens Bel Air

Chuck Masters doesn't spend four weekends a year setting up Bel Air's most intricate Christmas lights display because he's crazy; he does it to entertain.

A half-mile's worth of extension cords, 30,000 lights, an exclusive FM frequency and about $6,000 in equipment make up what has been one of Harford County's best-kept secrets since 2000.

Inspired by a television show featuring Planet Christmas, Masters, 53, has been improving his Hack Berry Court light show for 10 years. It wasn't until 2006, though, that he purchased an FM radio transmitter so that he could sync music to his plethora of red, green, white and blue bulbs.

"It's a whole different game," Masters said. "It's essentially my rendition to show what the music should look like with the lights."

The Fairmont, WV, native, who has lived in the same Bel Air home for 21 years, said it takes him three hours on an Excel-like program to sync just one minute of a song with his lights. That is why there are only eight tunes in the rotation. But like his display, the audio selection is also expanding, with "Dominick the Donkey" as the latest track.

"I want to try to get the beat," Masters said, "and coordinate it how I want it to happen."

Gracey Rothey, 14, is a Bel Air High School student whose family moved into the house directly across the cul-de-sac from the Masters' home three years ago on Christmas Eve. Rothey's family saw the sign outside the Masters' driveway instructing visitors to set their FM radio to 107.7 when the lights were on.

"We put music on in the whole house," said Rothey, whose favorite song is "The Christmas Can-Can" by Straight No Chaser. Her grandmother, Jane Faith, 80, said it's convenient for whenever she wants to watch.

"It's free entertainment for Christmas," Faith said. "Sometimes I back my car in and sit there and listen for awhile."

She's not the only one. Masters, who lives with his wife Lorie, 46 and daughters Kaitlyn, 18, and Kristen, 16, said he averages about five or six cars at time. He calls them "visitors."

"I'm constantly looking out the window to see how many visitors we have," said Chuck, who goes out to greet them sometimes.

His passion for the display has even earned him a nickname from neighbors, who occasionally yell, "Hey, Clark!" in reference to the Chevy Chase character in Christmas Vacation. He laughs at their jokes, but there's nothing funny about his work ethic.

"In a way I feel like an artist and this is my canvass," Chuck said. "If I see something that's not quite the way I want it, I'll go back and tweak it."

With the time it takes to construct the lights, the challenge of improving the show, and a finite amount of storage space, Chuck admitted that he has questioned how much longer he can entertain.

"The last two years it's been that way. When the girls were younger, they were really, really excited about it," said Chuck, who will have to take at least a year off in the near future. "One of these years I won't be able to do it because my wife wants to go to Disney World for Christmas."

Masters begins the display the weekend after Halloween and deconstructs it on New Year's Day, ("I can take it down in two days. It takes me a couple weeks to put everything away,") much to the chagrin of his fans.

There is still time, however, to see the display this year. His computer is on a timer that begins the show each night at 5 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, until midnight on weekends, and at least 1 a.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

But no matter how impressive his work, Chuck knows it is never-ending.

With one hand holding a drill and the other reaching for bulbs, he pauses, opens his eyes wide behind his glasses and grins: "I'm already thinking about next year."

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Some tips for visitors:

• Don't park in front of the Masters' house
• Don't block one of their neighbors' driveways
• Turn off your headlights
• Make room for others
• Try not to drive in front of the house in the middle of a song

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