Rocky Mountain House's von Hollen Christmas light display to return in 2027
After a years-long hiatus, longtime Rocky Mountain House residents Cheryl and Alfred von Hollen plan to revive their famous holiday light show, which once drew about 40,000 visitors a year.
Why it matters
The display has historically drawn tens of thousands of visitors and raised significant donations for the local food bank in the Rocky Mountain House area.
Cheryl and Alfred von Hollen's storied Christmas house in Rocky Mountain House will light up again in 2027, with Alfred estimating the display will switch on around Dec. 1 of that year. The show became a regional holiday tradition, at its peak featuring 130,000 lights and attracting roughly 40,000 visitors annually.
The last full-scale display was in 2014, when the couple wound things down to enjoy retirement, though a smaller version appeared in 2020. That 2014 show alone raised more than 14,000 pounds of food and $10,000 for the local food bank.
The 2027 revival will be scaled back from the display's peak, with about 40,000 lights rather than 130,000. Returning attractions include the light tunnel, crystal palace and backyard walkthrough, alongside new features such as 14 umbrellas with 700 lights each and 70 globes wrapped in 50 to 100 lights.
Von Hollen, who began decorating houses with lights at age 10 and has run smaller shows at his winter home in Yuma, Arizona, said he and Cheryl considered selling their lighting equipment but decided instead to bring it back to their home on 57 Street Close in Rocky Mountain House.
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