NORFOLK, Neb. -- 'Tis the season for Christmas lights!

There’s a North Pole closer to home in northeast Nebraska, where Rocky Smidt has been setting up Christmas lights for decades.

“There's just shy of 45,000 lights out here in the yard,” Smidt said. "When the sun goes down, this whole corner will light up.”

Smidt’s yard has gained quite the popularity in recent years, with people driving by to admire his hard work.

“There will literally be cars lined up all the way up and around the corner, people coming by to see it,” Smidt said.

With half an acre of decorations, Smidt has musically coordinated all of his lights as well as telling stories at every corner. But he did not start last week.  

“I start putting it together in September,” Smidt said. “Usually, in September, I'm putting icicles up. Almost all of it is exclusively me.”

Smidt has been carrying on this tradition for generations, as the spirit of Christmas stems all the way back to his great-grandfather.

“This goes way back in my family,” Smidt said. “I have black and white photos of my great-grandfather's yard down in Farnum. And he had plywood cut outs of his nativity, and that's just generation after generation after generation.“

But that isn’t the only reason Smidt gets this invested into the holidays. 

“To make other people smile, to give other people hope, you know, and some enjoyment,” Smidt said.  “For me to see so many people enjoying this makes every minute I spend out here worthwhile.

You can catch these Christmas lights just off of First St. here in Norfolk. They are hard to miss at 1909 S First St.