Annual Zombek light display begins tonight

The Elizabeth Township holiday event features a 20-minute show and special visitors.

One Elizabeth Township neighborhood will continue to glow a little brighter this upcoming holiday season.

In what has become an annual spectacle for Elizabeth and the surrounding area, the Zombek Family Christmas Light Display is set to return tonight to provide holiday cheer and raise money for a good cause.

The display, which is celebrating its 12-year anniversary, will run from 6 p.m. tonight to Dec. 27 at 214 Williamsburg Drive in Elizabeth.

Tens of thousands of synchronized lights, animated figures, classic Christmas characters, a music light show, handcrafted decorations and appearances from Santa on select nights are what visitors can expect from this township tradition.

Mitchell Zombek, who was 13 years old 11 years ago, had the idea to start a Christmas light display to raise money for a charity, which ended up being the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“He came home and his task was trying to come up with a project for giving back and I guess at that point he said we put up a bunch of Christmas lights every year wouldn’t it be cool if we said we were going to collect for a charity,” Don Zombek told the Mon Valley Independent last year. “I said well maybe that’s something that we should even consider doing if that’s the case.”

Don said they put up about 7,000 to 8,000 lights that year. The display has grown dramatically since then and will feature a 20-minute show reflecting on an old-fashioned Christmas. There are about 59,000 lights — 15,000 more than last year.

The family’s first display program was animated lighting with singing reindeer. They have since added singing snowmen, giant trees, programming, other lighting and a place for Santa to take pictures in the garage.

According to their website, there were around 50 people present on their first night, and now there are crowds of well over 300 people.

“We have multiple animatronics that we use for the display,” Don said. “It’s more of a show now than it ever was. Before there were more lights, and now it’s a continuous show that rotates throughout the night.

“People will come or get out of their cars or they’ll stop and go park to watch. There’s interactive stuff where they can walk around and take pictures and things like that. We create a new show every year so we don’t ever repeat old shows.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive via fire truck at 6:15 p.m. and the Pirate Parrot, Mrs. T’s pierogi mascots and more will be at the event at 6:30 p.m. There will also be a large basket raffle and baked goods for sale.

There’s a new lit walkway, which visitors will take to the back yard to see holographic gingerbread men and singing snowmen.

If there is inclement weather, Don said they will not run the display because the animatronics cost so much they cannot afford to operate them in bad weather.

Parking for opening night will be available at Elizabeth Forward Middle School and a free shuttle service from the school to the house will run from 5 to 9 p.m.

The family is encouraging people on other days not to stop or park directly in front of the house so they can leave one lane of traffic open for their neighbors and first responders. Zombek said to turn into Williamsburg Drive, proceed past the display to Kennet Drive, turn around and come back for the best viewing.

Their event is sponsored by Comfort Supply, Device Rollison Realty One Group and HRT Solutions.

But the Zombek display is about more than just holiday cheer. Each year, the family uses the event to give back to the community.

All donations will benefit the Zombek Foundation, which was created in 2023 to help families in need from school districts across Western Pennsylvania.

Whether it’s collecting donations for local charities, supporting food drives or simply spreading joy to those who need it most, the Zombeks try to embody the true spirit of the season.

Don said the family started the foundation last year to support those families in need in local school districts, trying to become “multifaceted” in their approach to helping people in need.

Over the 12 years, they have donated more than $100,000. They have a red donation box on site next to their mail box for donations for both Make-A-Wish and their foundation.

In 2023, they helped more than 60 families with Thanksgiving meals and five families with Christmas. They are continuing the tradition this year as they delivered meals to 70 families last weekend and raised around $1,100 for their Thanksgiving meal campaign.

“They get a whole meal, and a frozen turkey, which they cook,” Don said. “It’s a pretty big expense for us.”

New this year is a stocking fundraiser to benefit the foundation’s holiday programs that support families in need.

The stocking fundraiser helps supplement the donations put into the Thanksgiving meal so they can help other people throughout the community after Thanksgiving and to help with the Thanksgiving delivery and back-to-school events next year.

Some people who sign up will have Santa drop off a personalized note along with the stockings, which will be filled with several items for kids to enjoy. They will be delivered to people’s doorsteps.

“We are going to be delivering them after dark so they will wake up to them the next morning,” Don said. “There are going to be different things from Santa and a personalized letter to the children. We are allowing the parents to go to the website and fill out an application and to say whatever they want to say in there along with other things in the letter.”

The price for one stocking is $30, and each additional stocking is $20. They have sold around 44 stockings so far, and they are accepting orders until Monday.

Stockings are available to anyone within the Elizabeth Forward School District or within a 15-mile radius of Williamsburg Drive.

Don said he and his family are excited to help others this holiday season and throughout the year.

“It is about giving back,” he said. “We are providing meals at Thanksgiving, helping families at Christmas and just helping those less fortunate. There are a lot of new additions this year, and we are just happy to help people.”

For more information about the display, follow Zombek Christmas Light Display on Facebook or check out https://www.zombeklightdisplay. org.