Jordan Beck | Daily Press Escanaba residents Keith LaValley and Leo Evans are pictured in front of their home on the 200 block of S. 12th St. Evans decorates the outside of the house, while LaValley decorates the inside.

ESCANABA — Christmas is on its way, and many people in Escanaba have been busy decorating their homes for the holidays.

Leo Evans and Keith LaValley, who live on the 200 block of S. 12th St., have decorated their home for Christmas since they moved there in 2005. Evans decorates the outside of the house, while LaValley decorates the inside.

According to Evans, the process of decorating his home begins months before the holiday season.

“Generally, the outside I start decorating (at the) end of September,” he said.

LaValley also starts decorating at this time of year.

Evans uses a 32-foot extension ladder to set up decorations near the top of the house. He turns on the display, which includes roughly 25,000 lights, on the night of Thanksgiving.

This year, Evans said he and LaValley have completed a process they started about three years ago.

“We went all LED … definitely cheaper on the electric bill,” he said.

The lights on Evans’ and LaValley’s home have attracted attention from people in the area.

“We have people that come out and take pictures,” Evans said.

Despite this, Evans said he has not been resting on his laurels.

“I’ve been planning next year already,” he said.

Ray Caron Sr. has been decorating his home — which is located across from Elmer’s County Market — for Christmas for over 30 years.

“I used to do my dad’s, who used to live next door to me,” he said.

Raymond Caron said it takes his family a total of three weeks to decorate for Christmas.

“As soon as we put the Halloween decorations away, we take down the Christmas ones,” he said.

This year, the Carons’ house features a “few thousand” Christmas lights and a large number of plastic figures. According to Raymond, this is not quite as elaborate as his family’s displays have been in the past.

“It’s starting to tone down some,” he said.

Still, Ray said the Carons’ holiday decorations have developed a reputation over the years.

“When I explain to people where I live, I just say ‘the house that’s lit up kitty-corner to the police station,'” he said.

At the 1900 block of 5th Ave. N., Brandon Langenfeld has set up a figure of the Grinch designed to look like it is “stealing” his Christmas lights. Langenfeld said he has had this display for four or five years now.

Langenfeld’s Grinch was inspired by a similar display he saw. However, that figure was set up on the ground, while his stands on the roof of his garage.

“Our roof works out well for our garage, ’cause it’s such a flat roof,” he said.

According to Langenfeld, he made his Grinch figure himself.

“I just drew it out on a piece of plywood and cut it out with a jigsaw,” he said.

The display has attracted some attention over the years. Langenfeld said that, the first year he put his Grinch figure up, a photo of it was shared on a local radio station’s Facebook page. He also said his coworkers are aware of it.

“They’re always asking me if it’s up around this time of the year,” he said.