(WBBM Newsradio) – After years of extravagant Christmas light displays, Amy Scott was surprised when her family's Taylor Swift-themed display went viral.
"This isn't even our best one," Scott said.
Swift is in the middle of a record breaking world tour, recently released a record breaking concert movie and was just named People Magazine's Person of the Year - so there's a lot of hype around anything Taylor Swift.
And Swifties, as Swift fans are fondly known, brought that excited energy to the light display on Wednesday, Dec. 13, which is Swift's birthday. The Scott family made sure the cardboard cutout of Swift had a "Birthday Girl" sash on.
One mother-son set of fans drove an hour from Vernon Hills to take a look at the house at 1228 Atlas Lane in Naperville, Ill.
"We're going to go home and watch The Eras Tour," mother Kelly Ryan said.
Scott says people have driven from as far as three hours away to get a glimpse. For those making a trip like that to see the lights, The Ville Team has a Holiday Lights In The Ville guide detailing displays in Naperville, Plainfield and Lemont. It also includes a map for the simplest way to view the lights.
"Get some Portillo's and make a night of it!" Scott told Ryan and her son after learning they drove an hour to see the display.
The success of the light display this year can be attributed to viral TikTok videos of the house, which neighbor Jenna Smiley said was posted by one of her former classmates.
"I heard about it while I was at [college], but I came home and I was like, I need to get over here!" Smiley said.
She lives a couple streets over and knows the family has always gone full out for the holidays. Scott says that her home has been a stop on a local Christmas light trolley tour for years.
"They have definitely gone all out and have definitely stood out more than most of the houses in this neighborhood. But this is huge!" Smiley said.
To help "spread the love" from all the attention the display has received, QR codes have been scattered around the yard to collect donations for the nonprofit Little Friends. As of Wednesday, Scott said $3,200 has been collected.
There is a donor offering a matching gift of up to $5,000, so the family hopes to meet that goal. They are on track to reach that goal with about $1,000 being donated each week.
People interested in seeing the display will have through Jan. 7 to do so.
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