One train track in the Montalbano's garage is in the shape of a breast cancer awareness ribbon. (Chip Dawson photo)

By SHIRLEY DAWSON
DavidsonNews.net

We piled into our 10-year-old Volvo last Thursday night, picked up our friends the Gregorys, and went off on our annual search for the best holiday home display. We’re tough critics.

We started the annual tradition while we were living full-time in Rochester, N.Y., and until last Thursday we’d only awarded two perfect 10s – one to a display with a nearly life-sized Santa landing on the side yard in a helicopter; and another to a display with not only the usual snowpeople, angels, and santas but also lighted palm trees, dancing dolphins and a garbage-truck-sized elephant. Obviously, tons of lights – of all colors and some blinking – are basic requirements, and music is always a nice touch.

Thursday’s was our first nighttime excursion through the neighborhoods of our winter home here in Cornelius. I must tell you, it was hard to get excited about Christmas with temperatures still hovering around 60 and too many (ho-hum) displays of white lights on shrubs.

But then we found the open garage door at John Montalbano’s house.

Miniature cars park in front of the screen at a drive-in movie showing the classic, White Christmas. (Chip Dawson photo)

From the driveway, you first notice the mid-range ear splitting buzz of model trains almost – but not quite – drowning out the Christmas music. Get closer…and closer…and THERE THEY ARE! Dozens of model trains race around tracks weaving through an idealist version of a village Christmas. Houses and storefronts glow. Nearly every tree is decked out with glittering lights while tiny people ice skate on ponds, sled down hills or wander the sidewalks. A small boy perpetually makes snow angels. In the outdoor drive-in movie theater, “White Christmas” – the actual movie – is playing to a few parked sedans.

John Montalbano stands in front of his display last Thursday. (Chip Dawson photo)

John began this extravaganza seven years ago to cheer up his neighbor, Pam Greenwood, a double breast cancer survivor. A large bottle sits beside the garage door to accept donations to a Charlotte cancer research center.

John says he collects display parts mostly from garage sales and flea markets all year – everything carefully stored in plastic boxes until the first of November when he begins construction. His goal is to finish the installation by Thanksgiving when he hosts an unveiling party for his immediate neighbors. From then through December, the garage doors are open every evening for gawkers – any age – and John stands by to answer questions.

We clapped for John, for the trains, for the generosity of the holidays but we only gave John a score of 9.5. After all, there wasn’t an elephant in sight.

RELATED STORY: On CorneliusNews.net, “Cornelius family runs ‘Trains for a Cure’”

Shirley Dawson

Shirley Dawson lives with her husband, Chip, in Antiquity. They also own a home in Rochester, N.Y.