Trent's Christmas Light Show 2017

Social Findlay caught up with Trent Schroeder, the mastermind behind Trent’s Christmas Light Show in NE Findlay. Check out his website for links to videos of past years’ shows, and more information. He’s raising money for BuckeyeThon, which will towards the Hematology, Oncology, and BMT Unit of Columbus’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospital: Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

SF: What made you decide to start doing light displays, and setting them to music?
TS: When my sister and I were much younger, my parents drove us to the Bluffton Blaze of Lights. I remember seeing an animated light show that told the story of the Good Samaritan, and being amazed, in my (even more) curious years, about how it all worked together. As I got older, I stumbled across videos of light shows online, and knew that I needed my own. Since 2012, when I was a Junior at Findlay High School, I’ve been decorating my parents’ house with more and more lights every year!
How did you learn to do it? 
YouTube was a great learning tool! There are thousands of similar light shows around the country, so it was relatively easy to pull off the show with the help of so many other people bringing their ideas to the internet.
Is the music playing outside, or do viewers tune into a radio station?
The music can only be heard by tuning your car radio to FM 105.1. This was very important to me, as I didn’t want to cause any extra stress to my neighbors! Many visitors think that I have a partnership with Toledo’s Christmas Music station, but I actually have my own low-voltage FM transmitter that gives me full access to that radio frequency.
Tell us a little bit about the cause you’re supporting – Buckeyethon:
BuckeyeThon is Ohio State’s 24-hour dance marathon, benefiting pediatric cancer patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. It is the largest student-run philanthropy in the state of Ohio, and has raised more than $6 million for the Hematology/Oncology/BMT units at Nationwide Children’s Hospital since its inception in 2001. This is the first year that I’m committing to dancing!
Anything else you would like us to know about you, or the show? We hear it’s probably the last year.
This is the last year as we know it! I’ll be moving to Madison, Wisconsin in May to begin working for Epic after I graduate.  As a 22-year old, there aren’t many things that have been constant for 6 years-other than Trent’s Christmas Light Show! I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to host the light show for that long. It has been so meaningful to me, and hopefully the lives of everyone that comes back to see it!

Check out the light display for yourself at 8332 Tawa Creek Drive. The show runs Sunday – Thursday from 6-9pm, and Friday & Saturday from 6-10pm. Tune your radio to 105.1 FM