HAMMOND, Ind. (December 22, 2023) – In a world where tragedy, war, and politics seem to fill the headlines, Peteyville remains a bright spot for families this holiday season. This is the 36th year that Pete and Tina Basala have created a lit-up wonderland of inflatables and animatronic figures that fill up every inch of their yard as well as four neighbors’ yards.
Changing it up
Each year, visitors will find something different — the placement of inflatables or some new items. This year Basala said they added about nine more shivering snowmen, and he raised them up to be better seen. Absent this year are hundreds of strands of lights that used to cover the home’s roof. “I’m getting older, and it’s harder to do,” said Basala. “I couldn’t get the lights up on the roof this year.”
A few more inflatables have been added to the collection. “We added a couple smaller inflatables, and I tossed a few I couldn’t repair,” he said. “When we took stuff out of storage, a lot of it wasn’t working.” Pulling items out of storage and getting started on the massive undertaking is a task that begins on November 1.
The first few days are spent pulling everything out of storage and getting it organized. The week before Thanksgiving, Tina takes vacation time from her job to help, and that’s when the yards start to get filled in.
Lawns, lights, and power
Basala said he’s run out of room to expand. Currently, his display spills over into the two yards of the homes to the east and two yards to the west. In exchange for the use of the yards, he has an agreement with the neighbors that he mows their lawn for free. “I have a lawn service, and I take care of the lawns all summer, and in return, I get to use their yards for the display,” he said.
When some visitors see five yards full of lights, they may mistakenly think that a bunch of neighbors get together to do the display. In reality, it’s just the Basalas with some help from their son. A neighbor down the street has helped in the past but was unable to this year due to health issues. The immediate neighbors appreciate the work Basala puts into making the neighborhood bright for the season, despite the increased traffic, the difficulty finding a parking spot, and the glare coming through the windows.
All the power required for the lights and inflatables comes from a separate NIPSCO power source. “I’m maxed out now,” said Basala. “So unless I win the lottery and move to a bigger house, I can’t go any further here. It would become a power issue, and if it got bigger, it would be too hard to keep an eye on everything.”
“But if I win the lottery, look out,” he added.
Appreciation from visitors
Each day from Thanksgiving night through New Year’s Eve, visitors stream down Crane Street, many getting out of cars to get a better look, walking below the lit-up archways. Kids’ faces light in wonderment as parents, grandparents, and friends look on and smile. For many of them, a trip to Peteyville is an annual tradition.
“I want the homeowners to know that we really appreciate what they’re doing. There’s so many things going on in the world that it’s hard to get in the spirit, but this definitely helps,” said Lawrence Green of Hammond, who visited with his family. His four children, ages 4 to 9, enjoyed walking from end to end looking carefully at each part.
Heather Kubiak of Chesterton and her family visited recently for the first time. Kubiak grew up in nearby Calumet City and had heard about Peteyville. When a friend shared their visit on Facebook recently, Kubiak decided to make a trip to see it in person with her husband and three boys, ages 5, 6, and 10. “It’s really great, and the kids liked it a lot,” she said.
Jeff and Andrea Groenwold of Munster brought a friend who was visiting from Maryland to see the display. Seeing Peteyville is part of each holiday season for the couple. “It’s fun to come every year, and there’s always something new,” said Andrea. “It’s a lot of work, and it’s very generous of him to do this for the community.”
“We appreciate what he has done all these years. We’ve brought our kids, nieces, nephews, friends. He was the original with the lights displays. He puts in a lot of effort,” said Jeff.
Sharing the joy
In addition to the enjoyment Basala provides for those who come to see Peteyville, he has found a way to provide some enjoyment to sick kids. Each year he holds a private party for friends and family, asking each guest to bring a new, unwrapped toy. All the donations to go to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.
“People who come to the party are always very generous,” said Basala. “We just dropped it all off at the hospital, and the car was packed. They use them to give to kids who come in for treatments.”
Lights in the darkness
Basala said he’s had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. That has led some to believe this may be the last year for Peteyville. “I don’t have plans to end it, but we never know what tomorrow will bring. Look at what happened in 2020,” he said. “It’s just not feeling like Christmas this year. A lot of bad stuff is going on in the world. It doesn’t have that ‘peace on earth’ feel this year.”
The lights go on each day from 5 to 10 p.m., weather permitting, continuing through New Year’s Eve. The Basalas have a Peteyville Facebook page where they post updates if the display will be partially lit or down due to weather.
Peteyville is located at 3033 Crane Place in the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond.
