East Goshen 'Griswold' Lights Street, Gathers Toys For Tots

EAST GOSHEN TOWNSHIP, PA — Just up the street from East Goshen Park is an ever-growing outdoor light display with dozens of inflatable faces greeting drivers-by, beckoning to the Toys For Tots dropbox.

Brian Nowak turns on the 20,000 lights at Thanksgiving and lets them light up Wineberry Lane through New Year's Eve.

"I inherited this tradition from my father-in-law, after he decorated for many years. My wife and I bought a house in East Goshen Township a couple years ago, and have built on the display every year," Nowak explained. He confessed he is a bit of a Griswold.

The Nowaks have been decorating outdoors since 2012, but moved into their current home four years ago and have turned up the lights a bit each year since.

This year's display features a candy cane archway up the driveway, 10-12 feet high and made of standard PVC plumbers pipe material, Nowak explained. The candy cane driveway arch includes about 5,000 lights, he said.

There's a large PVC-constructed Christmas tree in the Nowak yard, and the many natural trees in the yard are wrapped with hundreds of lights.

The house itself at 1590 Wineberry Lane in East Goshen Township is surrounded with the old-time traditional bulbs, which Nowak said are more expensive to light, "but worth it."

Nowak estimates the cost of lighting up his lawn is about $1.75 per hour. The display is turned on between 5 and 10 pm. each night.

"I usually say it costs me $150-200 for the whole season," said Nowak. "The lights and decorations are more expensive than the electricity," he said. He said his helpers work for nothing except for the food and drinks. They are at it every weekend in November, and it takes about 60 hours of labor, for himself, his father and father-in-law, and his brother-in-law.

"We do it for the oooo's and the ahhhh's," he said.

They also do it to help out Toys For Tots. This year he's partnered with Chester County Toys For Tots to collect new, unwrapped gifts. Nowak sets a box in front of the house for collection, and brings it inside at 9:30 every night.

He said the most recent update from Toys For Tots said they have a gap in receiving gifts for children in the 0-2 years age group, so anyone thinking of bringing a toy might shop for the tiniest kids.

"I don't just do this for my family, I do this for the community, especially this year with COVID," he said.

Nowak invites the public to drive by and see the display and drop off a toy, if they can.

"Between social media and word of mouth, I estimate we've had almost 500 vehicles drive by so far this year."

He said he takes a photo of the display every year, and this year, it's gotten so big that he had to find a drone photographer to take an aerial photo. Above Ground Drone Photography in Downingtown is a new business, he said, and they did the work.

Nowak laughed while talking about people who see and hear him start decorating in November.

"They tell me not to start so early. They are just stressing about the holidays," he said. "I don't stress. It's about the Christmas spirit," he said.