When Myron Graham was looking for a home in Flossmoor roughly seven years ago, he got a good piece of advice: Look for homes in the winter, and make sure to visit Dartmouth and Hutchinson roads.
“They do this amazing light display,” Graham said.
Graham was not disappointed. He grew up in the city, where people of course put up lights, too. But because of the light pollution in a metropolis such as Chicago, they were never quite the same as the ones his family drove to view.
“You’d go to the suburbs or country to see the really big shows,” Graham recalled. “Flossmoor doesn’t have street lights, so it’s the perfect environment to put up the lights I envied.”
Graham was determined to live on one of the two spectacular blocks he visited. There was just one problem: He could not get a home on either of them. So, he set out to start his own tradition.
“We ended up purchasing a home on Bruce Avenue,” he recalled. “I said, ‘When I move in, I’m going to do my own light display.’”
For the first few years, Graham was basically on his own in going all-out with the decorations. Then, in 2017, Christopher Cogswell and his family moved in just across the street. Graham didn’t know it yet, but Cogswell was about to become the Ben to his Jerry, the Pippen to his Jordan — as Graham likes to put it.
“It started as a light competition between us and different members of the block,” Graham said.
But Graham, now 38, and Cogswell, 42, have become something more akin to collaborators over the past few years. Right after Christmas each year, they go shopping to get decorations while they’re on sale for next year’s displays, which Cogswell said helps to keep costs down “dramatically.” Approximately 20,000 lights now adorn his trees and house alone.
“Each year, we keep getting more,” Cogswell said. “It’s actually grown each year. … It’s expensive, but it’s a fun hobby.”
For Cogswell — a crane operator who said he gets an assist every year from his employer, Stevenson Crane Service, in the form of a donated lift to reach the top of the trees in the parkway — that means moving some lights and adding others. It also means a new playlist, as he syncs his lights to music every night, and the tunes change from year to year.
“He’s running all the amazing displays,” Graham said. “For me, it’s about the art. Every year, we have to come up with a theme. That’s what keeps it fresh and new.”
Graham, who works in health care, said this year’s theme is Candy Cane Lane. And he clued the Chronicle in to something visitors may not immediately recognize about it. With the pandemic in mind, he is tapping into a seasonal institution in the city many will not be able to experience in 2020.
“People won’t notice this, but I’m actually mimicking the Marshall Field’s windows,” he said of a long-standing tradition that is now upheld by the Macy’s on State Street. “I’m bringing it here for those that can’t go.”
Graham said despite it being a time-consuming and sometimes pricey hobby, he has fun decorating so much that Christmas is not the only holiday that gets this measure of attention from him.
“We do a massive Halloween show, as well,” he said. “We’re just big into the holidays in general.”
But it is not just a love of the holidays that motivates him. He and his wife, Kimberly, have four children, and they play a big part in Graham’s efforts.
“It’s a chance for me and my kids to bond, building memories, especially during COVID,” Graham said. “It just helps them to stay young for a longer time.”
Cogswell said their house is also a family effort that includes his wife, Sara, and their two children. Sara actually has a direct connection to Mrs. Claus and tries to make sure that anyone who leaves a letter (with a return address) in the box for the North Pole gets a response. The show itself has become a family effort, as the children help decorate.
“We work together on it,” Cogswell said. “We used to decorate at our other house but nothing like this.”
Their holiday spirit may be catching on, possibly even putting Bruce Avenue on the map of must-visits for winter home-shopping, Christmas-light enthusiasts like Graham.
“Everybody around is on board,” Cogswell said. “More people are decorating because of our efforts.”
Graham said making that happen on their block took some work, as the block is diverse. While many may be Protestant, Graham said Bruce Avenue includes families who are Muslim and Jewish. So, the duo worked to make sure neighbors would be OK with the lights they used in the parkway, and they limited those to white lights in recognition of Jewish customs.
“You’re trying to be respectful and inclusive while looking for a unified feel — getting all of these people to come together to let us shine lights,” Graham said. “This year, Chris and I were able to get the majority of our block to do it.”
That has helped the display feel a little more like a drive-thru this year — perfect for a time when people want to keep their distance. And the visual effect is one that has to be seen in-person to be fully enjoyed.
“When you drive through, you feel like you’re amongst the lights,” Cogswell said.
For those looking to check out the show, the homes are located at 845 and 904 Bruce Ave. Cogswell said the lights usually go on around 4 p.m., and while his music is off by 8:30 p.m. the lights are usually on later. People can find more information and updates by searching “Cogswell Family Light Shows” on Facebook.
Those wishing to see the display should do so while they have the chance. While Cogswell said he started stringing lights in October, he tends to change things up a bit in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. And the first weekend weather allows after that, the display comes down on his side of the street.
Graham, who said he grew up in a house where a tree stayed up until June, is a little stricter about his timeline these days.
“I take this stuff down Jan. 2,” he said with a laugh. “It’s spring cleaning.”