‘Tis the season – to enjoy Christmas lights support a parish

For 25 years through their Christmas Ranch, Bob and Diane Hanley have been bringing Christmas joy to the Cleveland community – and supporting St. Mary Parish along the way.

Every year near Thanksgiving, the Hanleys, with a lot of help, put up a few Christmas lights and decorations around their property – well about 320,000 lights. They open their property for people to drive through and see the colorfully lit display. Although there is no charge to drive through the light display, a donation box is setup at the end of the ranch for those who would like to donate.

“All funds collected from the donation box goes directly to St. Mary to help those in need of the community,” Bob said.

The couple began their Christmas light display 35 years ago in Huntsville.

“My wife wanted lights around the house,” Bob said. “Once I put them up, people started passing by just to see the decorations. Over time, I wanted to add more lights. We moved to Cleveland to have more space for the lights.”

The many illuminated displays and figures on the property, including the 26-foot tall reindeer Big Red, attract many visitors and residents annually. The ranch was also featured in ABC’s Christmas Light Fight in 2018.

The Hanleys have been attending St. Mary since they moved to Cleveland 25 years ago.

“I think they do really great work to help the needy,” Bob said. “All of the pastors we’ve had at St. Mary have appreciated what we do.”

The Christmas Ranch is open every day until New Year’s Eve 6-10 p.m. It is located at 14651 FM 1725 in Cleveland. For more information, visit christmasranch.com or contact 281-392-2397.