Best Of 2022: This CT Christmas Lawn Display Sets New Standards

CONNECTICUT — When Patch asked readers to send us photos of their Christmas lawn displays for the chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card, we figured we'd see a fair sampling of over-the-top arrangements, and weren't disappointed.

But "over-the-top" doesn't begin to describe the display of Christmas lights on the lawn at 5 Tiffany Court in East Hampton. A new, 25-foot Eiffel Tower dominates over a glittering landscape that includes Santa Claus fishing, a holiday farm, the Grinch misbehaving, and enough twinkling dioramas to intimidate a village power grid. In fact, there are more characters in Eric Scrivano's front yard than there are people in some Connecticut towns.

More impressive yet, it's all for charity.

"We have been doing this for about seven years to collect food for our local food bank. Last year we collected over 2,800 pounds of food and $2,500," Scrivano said.

He credits his wife Kelly for turning his annual yard display into a moneymaker for the East Hampton Food Bank. She noticed how the traffic in front of their home increased in the holiday season, with neighbors from far and near slowing down to catch a glimpse of their wintry fairy land. So they put out bins for donations, and the tinsel-ogling tourists have responded generously.

"I hate to say it, but I've been privileged," Scrivano said. "I never even knew what a food bank was. I never had to deal with it." He was surprised to learn how many East Hampton residents were food insecure.

Scrivano's personal North Pole snowballed a few years back, when he began to take in his neighbors' damaged and no-longer-wanted lawn ornaments, turning islands of misfit decorations into an ever-widening ocean of Christmas cheer. Now he spends most of his time in the fall repairing broken reindeer and snowmen, swapping out dead lights with new bulbs he buys each year.

"It's nice to be able to fix stuff and bring it back to life for a good cause," he said.

Before he and his wife used their Christmas lawn display to fill the coffers at the local food bank, Eric says the growth of his electric empire was driven by a simple, professional imperative.

"I'm in sales. So I always have to do better and better every year. It's just my personality," he told Patch.

Eric frequently makes forays dressed as either Santa or The Grinch into the neighborhood, handing out candy canes to children. He says he's gratified by what he hears.

"Every parent that goes into the bin to place food, whether it is one can or a bag, they say 'Hey, we're doing this to help the homeless or help people in need.' So this is a teaching lesson for the kids, and that's the most important thing."

The Scrivanos' front yard light display has its own Facebook page, as it should, and will be lit from 4:45 to 9:45 p.m. daily, through Christmas.