WORCESTER, Mass. — At dusk Thursday, Alex Cornwell arrived home from his day job in the construction industry and began tidying up his property’s Christmas display.
It takes more than a few minutes. In the three years since he and his wife moved into the house at 26 Dawson Rd., his annual display of holiday inflatables has grown to number nearly 120. There are numerous Santa Clauses, dozens of Disney characters, the Grinch, a Ninja Turtle, a Star Wars section and multiple Minions. And it started with just one.
“We used to live in an apartment and my mother-in-law got me an inflatable,” Cornwell said. “But we couldn’t put it up because we didn’t have the yard space.”
At this point, Cornwell hardly has any yard space to fit more inflatables. They’re wedged along both sides of the driveway and are now creeping up both sides of the raised ranch. He would put more down in front, but the area is wet, and that would do a number on the electric fans that keep the nylon shells puffed.
It takes Cornwell about three weeks to put up the display, which he begins to do immediately after taking down his Halloween display which, this year, consisted of 66 inflatables. Each inflatable has to be tethered to the ground with string and spikes. He says it’s a lot of work but, ultimately worth it. First, because his 18-month-old son Noah enjoys it. But also because others do too.
“And I’m out here all the time,” Cornwell said “And they all wave to me and say, thank you. That’s what I do it for.”
As for his wife? Cornwell laughs.
“She thinks I’m nuts. But yet, she’ll show me listings on Facebook for more of them,” he said.
The exhibit remains up until January 1, 2022, and the Cornwells are happy to see visitors come by, but ask that they not walk in the yard because of the tripping hazard posed by the strings holding the inflatables to the ground.
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