Phifer family celebrates 50th year of decked out holiday decorations

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – The Phifers’ decorations might put your string lights and wreath to shame but “you better not pout,” because they say their house is for all to enjoy. The family is celebrating 50 years of decorating, topped with a “birthday candle,” as Bobby Phifer calls it, on the roof. From 80-foot trees wrapped in lights to a completely homemade Santa tracker, the house located at 9604 Asbury Ct., is bound to turn heads. (Photo: Lindsey West, 8News) Phifer, aptly named "Mr. X-Mas" on his truck’s license plate, says he keeps his circle tight when it comes to decorating. He gets some help from his wife, friend, and daughters but otherwise, he is a one-man band. The Phifers’ tradition started in 1974. Bobby Phifer was about 8 or 9 years old when he found a shoe box of C9-bulb Christmas lights in the shed. Phifer says the first year, “Me and my dad put them up by the door and the window. Second year it was door, window and the bush and it kept growing.” Phifer continued to push himself further each Christmas. Throughout his teenage years, he and his mother would shop at yard sales to find unique and discount holiday displays. The oldest decor on Phifer’s lawn is a nativity scene he was gifted for his 16th birthday. He says no matter, “how crumbly it gets, it will always be out here.” Phifer prides himself on being able to fix or re-string nearly any light display. He credits his ability to decorate to such magnitude to being a hands-on kid who grew into a handyman. (Photo: Lindsey West, 8News) Phifer’s official light count is, “a bunch.” He invites anyone who wants to count how many lights it is, to do so. For most of us, Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25 each year. Christmas at the Phifer home starts in September and lasts five months; “everything in my life revolves around those five months dedicated to Christmas no matter what.” Their 24-foot wide, 30-foot long backyard garage is where the decorations get stored during the other seven months of the year. Phifer maximizes the space by hanging displays from the ceiling. "Then from the ceiling, you come down to the floor," Phifer said. "Everything is completely full. Everything is completely packed." (Photo: Lindsey West, 8News) Phifer’s process starts at the home and spans through every inch of the yard. Two weeks from Halloween, Phifer had finished covering his house in lights, wreaths, and ribbons. He also had already brought in a construction lift to wrap the highest trees in lights. By the middle of November, Phifer had most of the yard covered and was preparing to run chords to light everything. The first time the house is officially lit is always Thanksgiving night at 6 p.m. It’s encouraged that you look closely. Phifer purposely displays scenes that he hopes visitors will pick up on. Some of the scenes to look out for include: Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree lot -- “Unlike today, the cost of trees have gone down in Charlie Brown’s lot.” RVA Snowman -- “Because around here you build a snowman, give it an hour, it’s going to be melted and gone.” An evolving cactus -- “Every year we seem to add something to it. We add eyeballs to it, a bow, keep doctoring it up. It has more personality like that.” The Lion King (rewritten) -- “We decided, let the dinosaur steal his crown.” Potty trained reindeer -- “I’ve heard parents out here telling their kids, it’s time for you to get potty trained. If the deer can get potty trained, so can you.” The price tag that comes with the display is not low. Phifer says his power bill was about $900 in the winter of 2023 and that’s after saving money by replacing all of his lights with LEDs. He spends between $250 and $300 in zip-ties alone each year. Overall, Phifer expects to spend $10,000 to keep his operation going this year. The family stays afloat through donations at their hot chocolate stand. (Photo: Lindsey West, 8News) Five months of decorating, storage and price do not get in the way of Phifer’s Christmas cheer. He does it for the community and enjoys seeing smiles on visitors' faces and hearing the personal memories and stories they have to share. “It’s nice knowing, at 4 o'clock, you get to start your hot chocolate. You do your hot chocolate and talk to people,” Phifer said. "Sit out here and enjoy your two and a half months of putting stuff up.” Phifer says people thank him and his wife nightly for being the “brightness of the holiday.” After just three nights of being fully lit, Phifer received a Christmas card that included a photo of a woman and her late mother. The woman shared with him that she kept encouraging her mother to hold onto life to see the lights at the Phifer house in December. Her mother unfortunately passed a few months prior. Phifer says, “It’s sad but it brings back good memories.” If you visit the house on Asbury Court, Phifer asks you to “bring your kids, park, walk up, see it, spend time looking at everything. Then when you return next ye