The holiday season is shining brightly during the pandemic as businesses pour money into extravagant light shows to spread cheer.

From Maine to California, more lights shows have launched during the pandemic, and theyB次元官网网址檙e more elaborate than ever, with sparkly spectacles that the comedic character Clark Griswold from B次元官网网址淣ational LampoonB次元官网网址檚 Christmas VacationB次元官网网址� could only dream about.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e exploding because people are looking for something to do. That has been a boom for this business,B次元官网网址� said Wayne Wheeler, whose Wisconsin-based company, Reinders Inc., imports bulk lights and other gear used in the professionally produced shows.

Lighting displays are a time-honored tradition in the holidays, and people often drive around various neighborhoods to check out colorful lights. The commercial operations take it to another level, with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, synchronized music, animated props and other glowing fixtures aimed at eliciting a B次元官网网址渨ow!B次元官网网址�

No entity tracks such shows. But the pandemic provided a boost, and commercial light shows have been popping up in fairgrounds, farms, zoos and even parking lots, industry officials say.

It turns out that viewing shimmering outdoor lights on foot, or from inside a car, is a safe activity amid surging COVID-19 infections. Ticketing is often done online, and tickets can be scanned through a vehicleB次元官网网址檚 window.

In Cumberland, Maine, the formula was a hit for Julie and Steve Lankford.

With the parents up front and their daughter and a giant, stuffed Abominable Snowman sharing the backseat, the Portland family eased their vehicle through the first B次元官网网址淢aine Celebration of LightsB次元官网网址� at the Cumberland Fair Grounds.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely safe that way, especially with the variants around,B次元官网网址� Steve Lankford said of COVID-19 strains driving infections.

B次元官网网址淎nd itB次元官网网址檚 warmer, too,B次元官网网址� his wife joked.

The creator of the this particular event, E.J. Dean, said he didnB次元官网网址檛 necessarily set out to spread joy. He just wanted to keep his workers employed after the pandemic nearly shut down his business, which provides amusement rides and games to agricultural fairs and outdoor festivals, all of which were canceled in 2020.

His idea for staying busy included three commercial holiday lighting extravaganzas launched during the pandemic.

B次元官网网址淲e were fortunate and didnB次元官网网址檛 lay anyone off,B次元官网网址� said Dean, whose business, Fiesta Shows, is based in Seabrook, New Hampshire.

None other than inventor Thomas Edison is credited with creating the first strand of lightbulbs, which were strung outside of his Menlo Park Laboratory in 1880, according to the Library of Congress. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started a new tradition by lighting the National Christmas Tree with 2,500 electric lights.

The tradition took off from there.

One of the early drive-through displays was in Wheeling, West Virginia, where operators at Oglebay Park tapped a high school shop class to build frames, string lights and erect displays for motorists to enjoy.

These days, most major cities have a light show, or several.

Events often feature corporate sponsorships, hot cocoa, popcorn and even gift shops. The B次元官网网址淏ig Bright Light ShowB次元官网网址� in Rochester, Michigan, covers five city blocks. The B次元官网网址淲inter Light SpectacularB次元官网网址� at the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Pennsylvania features performances for children by Disney princesses. Both feature more than 1 million lights.

Large drive-through events, meanwhile, draw tens of thousands of vehicles.

David Fred, owner of Indiana-based Winterland Inc., saw his events at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway both get more than 200% increases in vehicles last year. His business supplies 195 shows, and runs another 11.

This holiday season, he estimates thereB次元官网网址檚 a 45% increase in popup events launched by people trying to draw on last seasonB次元官网网址檚 success.

TheyB次元官网网址檙e becoming more intricate. For Texas-based Extreme Lightscapes, the average budget for a holiday light show synced with music has grown to $500,000.

B次元官网网址淓verybody continues to try to outdo each other in terms of size, scope and technological complexity,B次元官网网址� said the companyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渉ead elfB次元官网网址� Darren Vader.

Such events are run by businesses, nonprofits and municipalities.

Many of the operators started with lavish shows at their homes for fun before deciding to get into the business, said Matt Reed from Arizona-based Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Products, which provides lights to contractors and municipalities.

B次元官网网址淵ou feel a difference when thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of love behind the project. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just a job for them,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址擠avid Sharp, The Associated Press