A teen filled with holiday magic

He may not be dressed as Santa Claus, but an Owatonna teenager could just as well be as he is filling his neighborhood with holiday magic.
Nolan Baker recalls touring a drive-thru Christmas light display in Hayfield with his family when he was 10-years-old. He was so intrigued at the time by the “lights dancing to music” that he wondered what it would be like to do something like it on his own.
As a seventh grader in 2016, Baker put his thoughts into action to create his very own light show synchronized to holiday music for his neighborhood. And now, four years later, two of his neighbors have joined in the fun by letting Baker design light shows for them. Baker has designed the light shows at 401 and 421 Murray St. and 1014 Lincoln Ave.
Baker strings coruscating lights around his property at 421 Murray St. Motorists can simply drive up and tune their radio stations to 87.9 as they pass the house to enjoy synchronization of music and lights.
He began four years ago with a single song, but this year his playlist has grown to five holiday favorites: “Carol of the Bells,” “The Nutcracker Suite,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “We Need a Little Christmas” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Baker finds that most people stay around for at least five minutes of the 15-minute display.
Baker estimates there are about 3,000 lights while the other houses have about 2,000 each. Most of the lights are strands shaped to look like other objects, including flakes, trees, stars and snowmen. He takes existing items on the property like windows and trees to wrap the lights around.
His favorite part of the display is at 1014 Lincoln Ave. where there are red archways that he built three years ago.
The holiday show lights up the night sky every night from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. The show runs from 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m.-midnight on holiday nights.
Baker says the busiest nights are Thursday through Saturday. “I can usually look out my window anytime between 5 p.m. and 10p.m. and see five cars at one time just at my house.” He estimates at least 400 vehicles pass by the normally quiet residential area on the busy nights.
The greatest satisfaction Baker gets out of doing the holiday show is knowing that people are having fun watching it. “The fact that so many people are coming and watching it is good to know,” he said, adding Christmas gives him a special reason to offer the show.
As a self-professed “computer geek,” Baker says he enjoys the technology side of putting together the holiday show. “It’s cool to me that I can program something and it works,” he said, noting he works on the programming throughout the year. Putting together a light show consists of three parts: design, programming and set up.
He has inherited his love for computer programming from his father, Rod, who works in the IT department at Federated Insurance. The younger Baker started developing interest in computers when he was in sixth grade. “It grows over time. It’s a chain reaction,” he said of his interest with computers.
Asked if he feels like “Mr. Christmas” with his gift to others, Baker modestly replied: “Little bit.”