A holiday favorite in the Pella area returns Monday night, likely for the final time. John and Birdie DeVries have decorated 2 ½ acres for the past 17 seasons with 55,000 Christmas lights, in a spectacle known as “Dutch Christmas in the Country.” However, due to health issues, the couple has decided to discontinue the display after this season.
The display includes 110 trees and bushes, along with twelve units making up a Dutch Village on the banks of two ponds – giving it the appearance of a village by the sea, which is very common in Holland. Music also plays for visitors as they drive up and down the private drive, which will be open to the public. Visitors are asked to stay inside their vehicles, though.
The final display will begin Monday evening and continue through December 31st, with lights on between 5:15 and 10:30 p.m. nightly. There is no cost to attend the “Dutch Christmas in the Country” display, which is located one mile northwest of Pella at 669 210th Avenue.