Lights on California

We’re Annie and Arthur Wait, a teacher and technologist from San Jose. We started working on our first animated light display as a “pandemic project.” Using our backgrounds in visual design and music (and with the help of our adult kids), we wanted to create a display that would lift people’s spirits and offer hope during what was a particularly dark period for many. So we decided to create a “garden of lights and music,” something that would remind passersby that even during the gloomiest, coldest winter nights, spring was around the corner, and life would be renewed. Most of the commercially-available lighting props and designs are focused on winter holiday themes, which makes sense because this hobby is an extension of the traditional Christmas lights and decorations people have put on their homes for decades. So we had to strike out on our own and design our props and sequences entirely from scratch. Our shows have now been viewed by thousands, and many have told us that seeing our flowers and animals come to life has become a holiday tradition for their family.