The Hill Family welcomes everyone to attend Holidays on Elm Street’s Community Night and Canned Food Drive on Friday, Oct. 23. Photo by Matt Hill

GALT, CA (MPG) - For Matt Hill, fall means more than cooler weather. It marks the start of elaborate decorations, synchronized music and colorful lights that have made his home a neighborhood attraction — and a way to give back to the community.

Known as “Holidays on Elm Street,” Hill’s Halloween and Christmas displays at Elm Avenue and Sparrow Drive combine custom-built props, thousands of lights and musical presentations.

Hill has maintained large holiday yard displays for more than 10 years. The synchronized Christmas light show began three years ago, followed by a Halloween show last year. He created the Holidays on Elm Street name and social media presence in 2024 to share schedules and community events.

Halloween decorations incorporate salvaged materials and thrift-store finds. Photo by Matt Hill

Behind the spectacle is considerable creativity and work. Setup usually takes two days, though this year’s heat stretched it to three. Hill designs and 3D-prints animated “singing faces” in his garage, assembling the pieces and filling them with lights so they move in sync with song lyrics. He also prints custom mounts for decorations and moving props.

Other features showcase his resourcefulness. A pirate ship was built from salvaged pallets, while a wine-drinking skeleton incorporates a barrel that once served as a fountain base. Garage-sale and thrift-store finds are repurposed into decorations.

The Halloween display is currently running from 7 to 9:45 p.m. Christmas hours are generally 6 to 9:45 p.m.

Halloween requires more construction than Christmas, but Hill enjoys its musical variety. While Christmas features holiday classics, Halloween includes spooky favorites, rock and metal songs, and themes from popular movies and television shows.

The spooky show haunts West Elm Avenue every October night from 7 to 9:45 p.m. Photo by Matt Hill

Some equipment serves both seasons. The large light grid known as the “pixel forest” returns for Christmas, and roof mounts hold spiders in October before being fitted with snowflakes. The same controllers operate both shows with different programming.

Beyond entertainment, the displays have become a way for Hill and his family to support local organizations. During Halloween Community Night, they collect canned goods and nonperishable food for the Local Sunshine Food Pantry. Last year, donations filled a 32-gallon container three times.

Holidays on Elm Street will host its Community Night and Canned Food Drive on Friday, Oct. 23, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Visitors can enjoy hot cider while listening to the Halloween show’s music through speakers in the driveway. All food donations will go to the Local Sunshine Food Pantry to help support local families.

The family also partners with the Galt Police Department and Cosumnes Fire Department for an annual Christmas toy drive. Police provide a donation bin, and the Hill family has filled it each year. A fire engine has also visited during recent events. The family’s community efforts earned a 2023 Neighborhood Holiday Spirit Award from the local Raley’s grocery store.

The Cosumnes Fire Department visits Holidays on Elm Street on Dec. 12, 2025, to participate in the 2nd Annual Community Night and Toy Drive. Photo by Matt Hill

Community enthusiasm remains strong. Neighbors wave, honk and send appreciative letters. Hill’s wife, Jessica, a music teacher at a nearby elementary school, often hears students asking when the decorations will return. Their children, Rosalee and Amelia, enjoy the shows and help distribute drinks and stickers during community nights.

Fridays and weekends are busiest, particularly between 8 and 9 p.m. The family uses traffic cones and barriers to help keep visitors safe. Halloween night brings additional attractions, including a 10-foot Dark Angel, fog machines, blacklights, music for trick-or-treaters and plenty of candy.

Looking ahead, the family hopes to continue its Christmas Community Night partnership with local emergency services and is considering a mobile display for the Galt Christmas Parade.

Residents can follow Holidays on Elm Street on Facebook and Instagram for show updates and community events. Hill and his family invite everyone to enjoy the holiday lights and join them in making the season brighter for the Galt community.

At night the Halloween display comes alive with lights and music. Photo by Matt Hill