Alberton family's Christmas display garners national attention

Much to their surprise, a family's Christmas lights display in Alberton, P.E.I., has garnered some national attention.

In a Reader's Digest Canada article, the Rochford's walk-through display was named one of the eight best in Canada.

Kevin Rochford, the driving force behind the family's Christmas decor, said gaining that kind of attention was the last thing he expected.

"I was not expecting anything like that," he said. "It was quite popular last year but I never expected to have it listed, especially with some of those other places listed there."

The display stretches for more than two hectares.

'It's a lot of fun'

With the help of his family, Rochford has been taking his decorating to the new levels over the past seven years.

"I just add a little more to it every year, it's a lot of fun," he said. "Here in the house we can hear the people outside, the children laughing and so on. It's great to hear all the excitement."

He begins setting up his display as early as October. 

"I work on it all the time because there's always [instances] of something that's not working, or cords get tripped over and something gets unplugged. It's a full-time job with no pay." 

'A valid recognition'

Rochford's daughter, Candice, created a Facebook page dedicated to showcasing the walk-through two years ago. Reader's Digest took notice. 

"It was a surprise to me for sure," Candice Rochford said. 

"I received a notification on my Facebook page that Reader's Digest Canada had tagged us in a post. So, I checked that notification and then saw the link to the eight light displays across Canada to see."

Candice said her father's work deserves the spotlight. 

"I think it's valid recognition. My father puts so much work into this light display and he gets a great deal of joy from seeing how many people in the community can enjoy it."