Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Hale home on County Line Road near Farmersville is a must-see attraction during the holiday season.

For many years, Pete Hale served as a volunteer coach for community softball and baseball teams and enjoyed working with children.

Ever since his own children have been “grown and gone,” roughly 15 years, Pete and Mary Hale have decorated their home’s exterior for neighborhood children to enjoy.

“I’ve been working with children, coaching ball teams,” Pete said. “All the children have grown up and moved out, so there’s not much else to do Christmas time but to decorate.”

The Hales string Christmas lights around the house and yard, which also boasts a blow-up Santa Claus.

Another figure of Santa sings to guests who step onto the porch to speak and extend Christmas greetings.

“The ones who deliver gas here and folks who stay in the community come out just about every year,” Pete said. “If they call and let me know they’re coming, I’ll go out and talk with them.”

Pete kicks off the display around the first week of December, turning lights on around dark and shutting them down around 8 p.m.

Then, neighbors and friends enjoy the display right up to New Year’s Day.

Pete said he began using the elaborate display to give folks living in the small community something to do for Christmas. It’s something he takes pride in doing for the community.

“The majority of people bring their children by to look at the lights,” Pete said. “They walk around the yard and look at all the different decorations. I’m glad for them to come by and look.”

Mary helps with the decorations, and also enjoys visiting with guests who stop to see the Christmas lights.

“Christmas is my favorite holiday,” Mary said. “I just like doing the decorating.”

Wheeler Chance, the Hale’s closest neighbor, has known Pete Hale his whole life, and visits the Christmas display every year.

Chance described the couple as “wonderful people, just good folks.”

“People come from quite a distance to see [the lights],” Chance said. “There’s nothing like it in this part of the country. Pete spends a lot of time putting up the Christmas lights. We take the kids out there and take pictures. They really enjoy it.”